Stephen El Gidi had a plan. The Canadian athlete made waves competing in the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. When swimming dried up, he worked as an environmental engineering consultant. Then, cheesecake came straight out of left field, transforming El Gidi from a world-class swimmer to a two-time State Fair of Texas Big Tex Choice Award winner.
“It was completely not in the, you know, the bingo card for my life,” El Gidi says.
This year, El Gidi, founder of Drizzle Cheesecakes in Irving, won the 2026 Big Tex Choice Most Creative awardee for Berry Me in Matcha. The hand-sized New York-style cheesecake on a stick is dipped in vibrant-green matcha-flavored white chocolate, rolled in matcha cookie crumbles, drizzled with more white chocolate and strawberry jam, and topped with fresh strawberry slices. The creamy strawberry matcha cheesecake is earthy, sweet, and fruity.
“I don’t think anyone has come out with one the way that we have, and that’s what I like,” El Gidi says. “That’s part of the competitive edge. How can I be different from everyone else?”
Cheesecake, but Make it Fancy
The earliest interpretation of Drizzle Cheesecakes began in 2018. It was nothing more than a side hustle, where El Gidi and a friend would set up at small festivals and fairs, offering their riff on handheld sweets.
“It really derived from the whole concept of the cake pops,” he says.
Never to be outdone, the Olympic swimmer made sure he outshone the competition.
“We did not invent cheesecake on a stick, but the way that they were doing it before, it was just like a plain cheesecake dipped in chocolate, and that’s about it,” he says. “We put our own spin on it, where we made it more of a high-end product rather than just a small added-on feature to any fairs and festivals.”
By 2021, El Gidi was at Canada’s Wonderland, a 330-acre amusement park in Ontario, dipping full-sized cheesecake slices in Belgian chocolate, rolling them in crushed cookies or nuts, and finishing them off with a signature drizzle of chocolate, caramel, or spreads. That’s when Six Flags Over Texas came calling.
Choosing Texas
State Fair of Texas Vice President of Fair Operations Nate Gross, then employed at Six Flags Over Texas, gave El Gidi his big break.
“He was actually the first one to give me an opportunity here in the U.S., to even try my product,” El Gidi adds. “My hat goes to him, and I see him every day, and I thank him for it.”
El Gidi packed up his life in Canada, taking Drizzle international.
For two years, Drizzle Cheesecakes called Six Flag Over Texas’ Gotham City home. Situated next to Mr. Freeze, Batman, and Catwoman Whip, the cheesecake concession fueled adrenaline with a generous sugary rush. The loaded cheesecake slices proved to be an instant hit.
“If you’re going to be paying a premium price, we make sure that it’s a filling, satisfying price,” El Gidi says. “If it’s a small size and you’re looking at the price, then you’re judging it 10 times harder.”
Gross introduced El Gidi to Melanie Linnear, State Fair of Texas Senior Vice President of Concessions, in 2022.
Big Tex Rookie
The State Fair of Texas is one of the most competitive culinary stages to break into in the state. Legacy concessionaires like the Nevins family have been at the fair since 1949, while Fletcher’s Original Corny Dogs has been a staple since 1942.
Drizzle Cheesecakes made its debut one year after arriving in DFW.
“It’s a different ball game for sure,” El Gidi says. “It is very hard to get into the fair, 100%. We did not just walk in.”
Behind the scenes, the Drizzle team had to undergo a strenuous interview process.
“With Texas being one of the biggest fairs in the country, it’s not a business that you can just open up and hope for the best,” he says.
State Fair officials were primarily concerned with volume. Vendors must be able to meet demand of more than 2 million visitors for the fair’s 24-day run. Selling out at the fair is not an option. A rock-solid supply chain is mandatory for entering the coveted Big Tex Choice Awards. Winners typically experience the highest demand each season.
In 2023, El Gidi won Big Tex Choice Award Best Taste–Sweet for the Biscoff Delight, a velvety slice of chocolate-dipped cheesecake covered in Biscoff cookies and garnished with ribbons of Lotus Biscoff spread. The high demand meant impromptu four-hour drives to ensure ingredients were stocked.
Drizzle Cheesecakes sold approximately 40,000 slices of cheesecake the following year. El Gidi expects to sell more than 50,000 slices this year.
Efficiency is another pillar for vendors. Last year, El Gidi mentored students in the Big Tex Business Masterclass program, showcasing Drizzle’s efficiency, customer service, and operations. The annual, five-month course educates small businesses in the food and beverage industry on the ins and outs of becoming a State Fair vendor.
“If I knew that in advance, I would have 100% applied,” El Gidi says.
State Fair Exclusives
For El Gidi, local means local. Drizzle Cheesecakes prides itself on using Dallas-based suppliers for every aspect of its operations, from cheesecakes to packaging. El Gidi upped the ante this year with a State Fair of Texas exclusive collaboration with Frisco-founded Cookie Society.
The collaboration is two years in the making. Jeff Allen, who co-founded Cookie Society alongside his wife, Marrisa, first met El Gidi at the State Fair of Texas, when he tried the award-winning Biscoff Delight cheesecake. They connected over their sports background. Allen, a former NFL offensive lineman, and El Gidi both have competition running through their veins.
When El Gidi went to the drawing board for the 2026 State Fair of Texas, Cookie Society was top of mind. The result was five State Fair of Texas exclusive flavors, available this season only: Berry Me in Matcha, Tiramisu, Pumpkin Spice, Banana Pudding, and Salted Caramel.
El Gidi says pre-season taste testers have a clear favorite: Banana Pudding.
All cheesecakes are 15 tickets, the same price they’ve been since 2022, excluding last year when Dubai chocolate ingredients forced Drizzle Cheesecakes to temporarily increase its prices. Dubai Chocolate will not be making a comeback this year.
“We want everybody to try them and make sure that everybody gets the opportunity, because we understand the economy right now,” El Gidi says. “Everybody’s hurting, including us.”
Biscoff Delight, Strawberry Crunch, Red Velvet, and Oreo Wonder will also return this year.
Drizzle Cheesecakes has three stands at the State Fair. The Little Rodeo and Funway Midway stands have the anticipated top sellers such as the Berry Me in Matcha, Biscoff Delight, Strawberry Crunch, and possibly Banana Pudding. The Tower Building location has all the cheesecake varieties, including the five exclusives available only during the 2026 State Fair of Texas.
“Don’t try to run away to the store and think that you’re going to be able to get the flavors because you will not, and you will be disappointed,” El Gidi says. “You got to come to the fair to get these exclusive flavors. And no, we will not be bringing them to the store after the fair either.”
