Biography
Junior’s is widely regarded as one of the most iconic cheesecake brands in the world. Frequently called the “World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake” by media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, NBC’s “Today” and ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the brand has also been recognized by Thrillist as one of the foods to try before you die. Junior’s sells more than 10 million slices of cheesecake each year.
Alan Rosen ’91 is the third-generation leader of the family-owned business. Raised in New York City, Rosen grew up observing his father, Walter Rosen, operate the original Brooklyn restaurant. During high school and college, Rosen worked at the flagship location, gaining hands-on experience and preparing to lead the company founded by his grandfather, Harry Rosen, in 1950.
After graduating from the School of Hotel Administration (now the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration) at Cornell University in 1991, Rosen spent several years working in the restaurant industry before returning to Junior’s as director of marketing. In that role, he focused on expanding the brand beyond its Brooklyn roots.
Under Rosen’s leadership, Junior’s has grown significantly. In 2000, he and his brother, Kevin, opened a second location in Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. Additional locations followed in Times Square and at Foxwoods Resort Casino, along with operations at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Rosen also expanded the company’s production capacity with a 103,000-square-foot baking facility in Burlington, New Jersey.
Rosen has led Junior’s international expansion, with products now sold in markets including Japan, France and South Korea.
Today, He oversees the company’s restaurants, retail bakeries, wholesale operations and mail-order business, which generate more than $65 million in annual revenue. The company serves thousands of customers daily and produces approximately 20,000 cheesecakes each week.
As the public face of Junior’s, Rosen appears regularly on QVC and has been featured on national television programs including ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “The Chew,” NBC’s “Today,” Food Network’s “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” and “Emeril Live.” He is co-author of several cookbooks, including Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook, Junior’s Dessert Cookbook and Junior’s Home Cooking.
Rosen serves on the board of the Fulton Mall Improvement Association as part of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership.