DUNNING — Eli's Cheesecake, 6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive, is celebrating what would have been its eponymous founder's 108th birthday with a weekend full of discounts, activities and freebies.
In 1980, Eli Schulman pioneered "Chicago-style cheesecake" in the kitchen of his Gold Coast steakhouse. Richer than its New York counterpart and baked on an all-butter cookie crust instead of a graham one, the dessert was an instant hit and now a Chicago classic.
From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Eli's will give out free "mini-dippers," encouraging guests to dunk small cheesecake wedges in toppings, according to an announcement. The staff will also host rounds of "cheesecake bingo" at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
On Sunday, the bakery will invite customers to decorate free slices of cake from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other planned activities include a "spin-and-win prize wheel" from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., a "coloring contest" from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a "founder's day trivia game" from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
From Thursday through Sunday, Eli's will sell its chocolate chip cheesecake at a 20 percent discount, and its classic plain cheesecake at a 15 percent discount.
Eli Schulman was born on Jan. 22, 1910 and died in 1988. His son, Marc Schulman, now runs the operation.
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