Some sweet talk:
He takes the cake

By Jon Campisi
Times Staff Writer

It’s 11:30-ish on a Monday morning and the hustle and bustle of the lunch crowd sets.
The rush is exacerbated on this St. Patty’s Day by the fact that the little ones are on spring break, and many of the customers who strolled in did so after a morning at the adjacent Please Touch Museum or the Franklin Institute nearby.
The location is Darling’s Cafe and Famous Cheesecakes, at 2100 Spring St. in Center City. And while this neighborhood eatery is known for its award-winning cheesecakes, there is plenty of other fare besides the sweet stuff.
Darling’s is the brainchild of Northeast Philly native Harry Arnold and his brother John. Harry, 37, and his older brother are two children in a large Irish-Catholic family of 16.
Harry Arnold got his start in the food-service industry working as a waiter at numerous restaurants in and around the city. Those stops included Le Bec-Fin in Center City, Macaroni’s in the Northeast and Chickie’s and Pete’s in South Philly.
All the while, Arnold spent his spare time baking his own brand of cheesecakes just "for fun," as he explains it.
It was during his time at Chickie’s and Pete’s that Arnold saw the need for a dessert option at that city staple, so on Mother’s Day 2004, he decided to show up at work with his specialty cheesecakes — 66 of them, to be exact.
It proved to be a sweet experience for Harry Arnold.
"They don’t sell coffee and dessert at Chickie’s and Pete’s, so when I came in with my coffee and cheesecakes, it was a very big deal," Arnold said during a March 17 interview at his cafe.
Today, Arnold and his brother have two locations for Darling’s Cafe and Famous Cheesecakes — the original at 20th and Pine streets and the larger 20-seat restaurant at 2100 Spring. The original shop, which Arnold calls a "cozy place," seats about nine or 10 and has been in existence for two and a half years. The newer café, which is next to the Franklin Institute, opened about 18 months ago.
Both locations offer the same menu, although everything is made and prepared at the Spring Street shop.
In addition to the various cheesecakes sold at Darling’s, the eatery offers breakfast and lunch choices, many of them unique to the business, such as the Philly Cordon Blue (made of turkey ham, melted cheeses and Dijonnaise) and the Chicken Eloise, which is Arnold’s own creation of tender chicken, melted provolone, bell and hot peppers and a Dijonnaise-style sauce served on a warm baguette.
Arnold said the shop also is known for its breakfast sandwiches, which include sausage or bacon, egg and cheese biscuits, a pepper-and-egg baguette, and a creation known as the "McDarling" sandwich.
There’s no denying, however, that the cheesecake is where Darling’s really shines. With varieties like the Philly Classic, the Famous Bananas Foster and white chocolate raspberry, as well as such occasional specials as the Bailey’s Irish Cream version served on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s hard for many to resist, Arnold said, which is why he now ships his product to customers across the country.
He’ll also personally deliver cheesecakes to customers in regions of the city like the Northeast, which he calls "no greater place to grow up in."
"That’s my favorite thing, to bring somebody a cake," the proud entrepreneur said.
As part of his business growth, Arnold has arranged for other Philly eateries to put his cheesecakes on the menu. They include popular spots like Audrey Claire, the Sidecar Bar & Grille, and Ten Stone restaurant and bar.
Arnold’s cheesecakes have brought special accolades his way. Philadelphia magazine bestowed its 2006 Best of Philly award on his cheesecake creations, and last year he took home the AOL City’s Best Award.
It’s apparent that the hard work and long hours — in those early days of the business, the Arnold brothers put in 90 to 100 hours a week — have paid off.
"I always got a feel if something was a winner," Harry Arnold said, expressing pleasure that his business has been a success thus far, even though it still is in what he calls the "baby stages."
For Arnold, there’s nothing like working for yourself, even with the tremendous amount of patience and determination that is required. "You just stick with it, with a firm belief and persistence, and you will get through it," he said.
That pretty much sums up his own advice to fledgling entrepreneurs: Never give up. "I know it seems like a lot," he said, referring to the demands of establishing a business, "but it’s doable."
And just as he did with his craft, Arnold suggests that budding entrepreneurs try to learn from the masters.
"Work for the great ones," he said. "Work for a lot of different great ones, a variety of people. People who have done it on (their own) terms."
He said it’s also crucial to be in tune with your customer base. Arnold noted that he wouldn’t be where he is today without the help of John, his brother and partner.
"I would have absolutely folded under the pressure," Harry said.
He also credits his employees with helping to make Darling’s a place where both repeat customers and new visitors can go to experience some tasty fare.
One such worker is Hany Sarquos, an Egyptian native who now calls Philly home. Sarquos is the only other person who knows Arnold’s secret cheesecake recipes (not even Harry’s brother knows those details).
Arnold will tell you that Sarquos makes the cakes "as good if not better than I do."
Then there’s Beth Parente, the twentysomething who recently came to the city from North Jersey with a desire to go back to art school. Arnold said Parente, who has worked at the cafe since early December, has been a godsend.
These are busy times for Arnold and his crew, but the owner doesn’t rule out opening another Darling Café location in the future. One day, he said, he’d love to open a place in the Northeast, one that he envisions as more of a diner and bake shop than a neighborhood cafe.
Not a bad dream for a local boy who grew up in Torresdale. ••
Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com