Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Iturralde Cotroneo Carly Sarah Cohen.
Hi Juan Iturralde Cotroneo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
How a Family Tradition Became a San Diego Cheesecake Craze
Our journey began quite unexpectedly during a family trip in December 2024. My wife is originally from San Diego, and I’m from Spain- this is when we traveled together with her family to visit my home country and without knowing were witnessing what would become the beginning of something big. While we were there, my brother-in-law Chris discovered the famous Basque-style cheesecake and immediately fell in love with it.
Shortly after we returned to San Diego, it was his birthday and having just moved to the U.S., I wanted to do something special for him—something personal that connected both our families and cultures. So, I baked him a traditional Basque cheesecake using a family recipe passed down to me by my grandmother when I was a child. It was something we had always made for family gatherings back home, but we had never thought of it as anything more than a personal tradition.
The next day, my wife posted a photo of the birthday celebration, featuring the cheesecake. To our surprise, we started receiving messages from friends and acquaintances asking where the cheesecake was from and how they could order one. That same evening, my wife posted a simple photo on Instagram with the caption: “DM to order.” Within 24 hours, we had seven orders.
That was the moment we realized there was something special here—an opportunity not just to share a taste of home, but to build something meaningful together. This was the spark that led to our very first business as a couple in San Diego.
What started as a heartfelt gesture for a family member has now become a growing business built on tradition, authenticity, and a lot of love. Our goal is simple: to share the same cheesecake that once brought our family together around the table—with new families and communities across San Diego.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We consider ourselves incredibly blessed with how smooth and fast TheBasqueBaker has taken off. We also had zero expectations in the beginning so everything was seen as a win- this really motivated us, especially when we started having long nights to fulfill all orders.
While demand in the early weeks grew steadily and we managed to build a solid base of loyal customers, we’ve had to—and continue to—work incredibly hard to keep growing and move closer to our goal of bringing our cheesecakes to customers across the entire country.
That said, while the product has generally been very well received, growing the business has not been easy. Like with any business, we’ve put in countless hours—working late nights and weekends while continuing to work another full time job.
We’re truly grateful for the response we’ve received from the community, family and friend and we’re fully committed to doing whatever it takes to bring our product to as many people as possible.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Myself, Juan, former financial consultant at Accenture in Madrid turned baker and CEO of TheBasqueBaker. Life took a quick turn when I moved to San Diego from Madrid earlier this year, and I couldn’t be happier! I have always had a passion for cooking, but never in a million years would have thought that my skills in the kitchen would land me a business in the baking world. This adventure alongside my wife Carly Sarah, who is a Dental Hygienist here in San Diego and also social media manager and co founder of TheBasqueBaker has been nothing short of a dream. We only hope to continue growing and keeping San Diego cheesy!
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
We have found that networking in general is what has helped us get to where we are now. Not being afraid or shy to talk about our product with anyone and everyone in any situation really. Sarah talks about cheesecakes all day with her patients and a lot of them have been amazingly supportive. Going to pop up farmers markets has also been key in making ourselves known in the community. Lastly, social media has played a huge role being that we do not yet have a store front.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebasquebaker
Image Credits
Carlos González & Yas Diestro
