By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
A sure bet with so much demand that Allie Cartwright cannot fill it alone. And yet, her Freaking Delicious Cheesecake Company continues to grow. Thursday night, Cartwright won $50,000 to spend on her cheesecake company as the grand-prize winner at the fourth IGNITE Rural Business Competition, hosted by Great Bend Economic Development, at the Crest Theatre in downtown Great Bend.
“The more we grow this brand, the more people are going to want to come and see where the cheesecakes are made,” Cartwright told judges Chad Somers, Sara Bloom, and Mike Johnson. “They’re going to want to come to Great Bend and experience it. I’m so beyond excited about that idea. I love how much joy my product brings to people.”
The fourth IGNITE Rural Business Competition began in July with 17 original competitors. That field was whittled down to five finalists for Thursday’s big finale. Each of the five finalists had 10 minutes to present their business plan to the panel of judges, then eight minutes to answer questions in the “Shark Tank” style competition.
Freaking Delicious Cheesecake Company has exploded in popularity over the last few years, but Cartwright said it all began by accident.
“What happened was, in April 2022, my dog needed emergency surgery, and we were really broke,” she said. “I went on Facebook and posted a cheesecake fundraiser, asking people if they would buy cheesecake in exchange for helping with his surgery. It went insane. People bought tons of cheesecake from me, shared it with their friends, family, coworkers.”
The ripple effect was on. Cartwright thought about doing weekend pop-up events but learned making and selling food out of her own home was illegal. Complete strangers continued to ask for her cheesecakes daily for months. In February 2023, she officially opened Freaking Delicious Cheesecake Company with an agreement from Wolf Hotel in Ellinwood to use its commercial kitchen.
Even with no marketing and no staff, word continued to spread about the cheesecakes. Cartwright purchased an SUV and concession trailer for delivery and wholesale options. By the end of 2024, she had nearly doubled her sales from 2023. Just midway through 2025, her sales surpassed those from the year before.
“I could have done a lot more than that if I didn’t have massive space issues,” she said. “I have almost no storage at all at the hotel.”
Cartwright nearly purchased a storefront in Great Bend but is reconsidering the idea. She told the judges Thursday that she could use the $50,000 grand prize to look for a new location and purchase new equipment. She wants to become employee-focused, paying a livable wage for an employee who feels good about working hard for a company that works hard for them. For Cartwright, it’s even bigger than that.
“We are so excited for everything we can bring to this community,” she said. “I tell people all the time that one of my favorite things about owning a small business is how much it has allowed me to participate in community fundraising. I might not have $300 in my pocket to throw at an organization, but I can make them a show-stopping cheesecake that earns them $300 in an auction. That feels really good.”
Cartwright said her company already has name recognition statewide. With the grand-prize money earned Thursday, she wants to grow Freaking Delicious Cheesecake even further.
A total of $95,000 was handed out during Thursday’s IGNITE finale. Coach K9 Training Academy, owned by Brooke Schmidt and April Steinert, won $30,000 as the second-place finisher. Tankquility Aquariums, owned by Brad Franshier, won $10,000 as the third-place finisher. Fanshier also won $5,000 as the People’s Choice winner.