Our History

A HISTORY AS LEGENDARY AS OUR CHEESECAKE

What’s changed since Harry Rosen opened the first Junior’s in 1950? Everything and not that much. Now, millions of people nationwide love our Cheesecake, but we still serve them “the Junior’s way.”

A Slice of history

1929

1950

1956

1969

1973

1975

1981

1982

1989

1993

1995

1999

2006

2008

2014

2017

2024

1929

WELCOME TO BROOKLYN

Harry and Mike Rosen opened The Enduro on the same corner where Junior’s Brooklyn stands today. The brothers expanded as property became available, claiming their own corner (slice) of New York.

1950

JUNIOR'S OPENING DAY

As Brooklyn changed, Harry Rosen replaced The Enduro with a family restaurant and bakery. He named it Junior’s, after his sons Marvin and Walter, and debuted the new restaurant on Election Day 1950.

1950

THE MAGIC FORMULA

To be a real New York restaurant, Harry Rosen knew Junior’s needed an incredible Cheesecake. So he and baker Eigel Peterson tasted and tried countless recipes until they reached perfection. We still use their recipe today!

1956

$5 Dinner

After a few years in business, Junior’s went from simple diner fare to a full-course restaurant. Our most expensive meal was $5.50 for an 18 oz. sirloin steak meal.

1969

JUNIOR'S TAKES OVER

As Junior’s expanded, a new generation took the reins for the first time. Brothers Marvin and Walter Rosen took over from Junior’s founder and their dad, Harry Rosen.

1973

GOLD MEDAL WORTHY

Our Cheesecake officially became the Most Fabulous. First, the Village Voice called it “the best cheesecake in the material world.” Then, we won first place in New York Magazine’s Cheesecake Olympics.

1975

A THIRD GENERATION

Current owner Alan Rosen spent every spare minute after school and on the weekends learning the ins and outs of the family business from his dad, uncle, and grandfather.

1981

SAVE THE CHEESECAKE

At 1:30 AM on August 17, the upstairs of Junior’s Brooklyn caught fire. Crowds assembled chanting “save the Cheesecake!” as firefighters battled the fire for two and a half hours. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

1982

BACK FROM THE ASHES

Nine months after the fire, Junior’s reopened to the public bigger and better than ever with a new restaurant—they even added a sidewalk cafe and bar. The Brooklyn Borough President declared May 27 Junior’s Day.

1989

SWEET, SWEET MAIL

We started selling our Cheesecakes via mail order in the late 1980s. In just a few years, we were mailing 2,000 per week! Here you can see one of our bakers making 88 cakes at once, just how we do to this day.

1993

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Alan Rosen joined his brother Kevin, marking a third generation of Rosens to operate Junior’s. Alan will tell you he’s worked at Junior’s his whole life, and he’s still running the show today.

1995

NATIONWIDE SENSATION

When QVC called for America’s best products, we knew our Cheesecake would be the perfect fit. Alan’s first time on the network, we sold 2,400 cakes in less than five minutes to people around the country.

1999

OUR FIRST BOOK

We published Welcome to Junior’s!, a blend of our recipes, memories, and the history of Brooklyn as it grew and changed alongside Junior’s.

1999

CHEESECAKE CORNER

To commemorate the book release, Junior’s corner of downtown Brooklyn was named Cheesecake Corner and Harry Rosen Way to honor our patriarch and founder.

2006

BROADWAY BOUND

We opened on Broadway and 45th (Shubert Alley) to rave reviews and continue to get a standing ovation every night.

2008

THE WONDER OF IT ALL

Junior’s had to get out of New York City at some point! We opened our grandest location yet at the Foxwoods Casino, just down the road in Connecticut.

2014

LONG LIVE BROOKLYN

Developers tried to lure Junior’s from our original downtown Brooklyn location, and they wanted to pay us a lot of money to leave. But Brooklyn is our home, so we told them to fuhgeddaboudit!

2014

MOST FABULOUS BAKERY

Our business got too big to run from Junior’s Brooklyn. So, we bought and reconstructed a 103,000 sq. ft. bakery in Burlington, NJ where we could make a lot more Fabulous Cheesecakes and desserts.

2017

THE HEART OF NEW YORK

We opened our second Times Square location smack dab in the middle of the city at 49th & Broadway, bringing a bit more of Brooklyn to midtown.

2024

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

Our first West Coast location opened in 2024 at Resorts World Las Vegas. Visit us for the most fabulous dining and Cheesecake on the Las Vegas Strip. Jackpot!

“All you want, as you want it.”

Harry Rosen

Junior's Founder

NO. 718

In 2014 mail from all over the country poured in from Junior’s fans and purists. They saw our vision and were thrilled that we decided to keep our historic Brooklyn location despite developers attempt to buy us out. We’re proud to have a community that love Junior’s as much as we do.

NO. 589

Anyone who sits down to lunch or dinner at Junior’s is greeted with a suite of sides—pickles, coleslaw, and pickled beets. Just be careful not to fill up on pickles before your meal comes out.

NO. 452

LL Cool J filmed the Doin’ It music video in front of Junior’s in 1995 featuring our Brooklyn storefront and iconic striped cup.

NO. 283

Sex and the City: The Movie filmed one of its final scenes at Junior’s where Big and Carrie celebrate their long-awaited marriage. Our customers are always our number one priority, so we told them we wouldn’t close the restaurant for filming. They shot the scene anyway, preserving a snapshot of life at Junior’s in 2008.