Lori Reyes — Owner & Founder, 808 Cheesecake

A Janesville area native, Lori Reyes never imagined that moving thousands of miles away to the Big Island of Hawaii would eventually lead her right back home and to a business she loves more than she ever dreamed possible.

While living in Hawaii, Lori discovered lilikoi, the Hawaiian name for passionfruit, and began experimenting with its bright, tropical flavor in her kitchen. One of those experiments became a lilikoi cheesecake. Friends and neighbors began asking to buy it, word spread, and what started with one cheesecake grew into 808 Cheesecake. Today, that original Lilikoi Cheesecake remains the company’s flagship flavor and a reminder of where it all began.

After bringing the business back to the mainland, Lori eventually returned to the Janesville area and made downtown Janesville the home of 808 Cheesecake. Being part of the downtown community is something she is incredibly proud of, not only as a business owner, but as someone who grew up in the area and now has the opportunity to give back to the community that helped shape her.

That makes participating in YWCA Rock County’s Cooks Who Care especially meaningful to Lori. After seeing firsthand the work the YWCA does to provide safety and support for women experiencing abuse, and the care, stability, and opportunities they provide for children, she knew this was a cause she wanted to stand behind.

For Lori, this competition is about much more than food. It’s an opportunity to use the business that began with one little lilikoi cheesecake in Hawaii to help support women and children right here at home.

And she couldn’t be prouder to cook for a cause that matters so much.