San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Laika gets a sweet welcome in Alamo Ranch
Sweetness has spread to San Antonio’s far West Side. And it’s safe to say there are more than a few people with an aggressive sweet tooth in that part of town.
Laika Cheesecake & Espresso, a popular spot for a wide range of pastries and coffeebased drinks, opened its first location in 2020 along Broadway in Alamo Heights. A second shop along Loop 1604 near the Alamo Ranch community and just a few miles from SeaWorld made its debut last weekend, and demand for the store’s signature cheesecakes served in petite glass jars pulled in a sellout crowd.
“We are so grateful to everyone who came to support us on our opening weekend. Your support and business means so much to us and we couldn’t made it this far without y’all,” an Aug. 5 post on the cafe’s Facebook page read.
“To everyone who came by after we were sold out and weren’t able to enjoy any of our cheesecakes we apologize sincerely,” the post continued.
“We tried our best to make as much as possible for BOTH
locations but we are very limited on staff and resources to produce the amount of product
to facilitate the amount of people who showed up these past two days. We will try our best
to make enough product for everyone without overworking and overwhelming our limited staff. Thank you again for all your support and patience during this very stressful process of opening this new location.”
Laika may be best known for its cheesecakes, but the shop knows its way around an espresso machine, as well. Express-News dining critic Mike Sutter cited drinks, including a frothy Cuban coffee, the sugary Tres Leches Flat White and a mint-infused iced coffee mixed in cocktail shaker, as evidence for Laika’s place on his list of Top 10 coffee shops in San Antonio.
At the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022, Laika owner Anna Afanasieva launched a fundraising campaign routing all sales at her shop to help support soldiers and relief efforts in her native country. Those efforts netted more than $70,000 over the course of a weekend. Laika is still accepting donations to support Ukraine through its website at laikacheesecakes.com.
Laika Cheesecake & Espresso, 6626 W. Loop 1604 N., Suite 215, 210-552-2938, laikacheesecakes. com. Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday