In 1961, Louis Posey Gibbons perfected The Original Cheesecake recipe while baking cheesecakes for her children from her Baltimore home. Then, she brought her love of cheesecakes to work at Love’s Restaurant in downtown Baltimore, where her unique and creamy cheesecake became a favorite of the owners and her co-workers. It wasn’t long before the restaurant started serving “Original Mrs. Posé cheesecakes” for customers; a Baltimore tradition was born.

As the cheesecakes gained a following, Lois baked as many as she could in her own kitchen, and even borrowed her neighbors ovens. In 1962, Lois loaded up her 1962 Ford wagon and delivered cakes personally. After learning that Alfred G. Vanderbilt II would have his daughter’s cheesecakes flown to New York for his house parties, Lois’ father helped her open her very own commercial bakery. Over the years, Lois’ daughter, Susan Posey, “grabbed the tiger by the tail” and helped her mother grow the business by bringing the Original Mrs. Posé Cheesecakes to more tables in the Mid Atlantic region. In just a few years, she expanded the business into over 600 restaurants, delicatessens, and grocery stores across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Washington, D.C.