The Distance

The list of classic Chicago foods includes pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef—and Eli's Cheesecake, a creamy confection with a hint of sour cream and a butter shortbread cookie crust. The dessert was first served at Eli's The Place For Steak, a restaurant owned by lifelong Chicagoan Eli Schulman that served guests from local politicians to visiting celebrities like Frank Sinatra. Today Eli's son, Marc, oversees the family dessert business, which makes cheesecakes and other sweet items for restaurants and grocery stores worldwide. The Distance takes you inside a real-life cheesecake factory.

Show Notes

The list of classic Chicago foods includes pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef—and Eli's Cheesecake, a creamy confection with a hint of sour cream and a butter shortbread cookie crust. The dessert was first served at Eli's The Place For Steak, a restaurant owned by lifelong Chicagoan Eli Schulman that served guests from local politicians to visiting celebrities like Frank Sinatra. Today Eli's son, Marc, oversees the family dessert business, which makes cheesecakes and other sweet items for restaurants and grocery stores worldwide. The Distance takes you inside a real-life cheesecake factory.

What is The Distance?

What's the hardest thing about business? Not going out of business. The Distance features stories of private businesses that have been operating for at least 25 years and the people who got them there. Hear business owners share their stories of hard work, survival and building something that lasts. The Distance is a production of Basecamp, the company behind the leading project management app.