BUSINESS MEMO: LOCAL BAKERY ON QVC

My Daddy's Cheesecake, 111 N. Main, will be one of 20 Missouri business showcased on a QVC Television Special broadcast from St. Louis.

The three-hour special -- 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday -- is the 33rd of 50 QVC specials on the "1997 Quest for America's Best -- QVC's 50 in 50 Tour."

During the program, 20 native Missouri businesses and their products will compete for "Best of Show," based on on-air sales and long-term sales potential on QVC.

The broadcast, to be aired live from May Amphitheater, is open to the public, with free admission.

My Daddy's Cheesecake will enter its "Death by Chocolate Layer Cookie Wedge."

Wes Kinsey, a Cape Girardeau baker who has been designing and baking cakes, pies and other pastries for the past two decades, will showcase one of his products nationally.

My Daddy's Cheesecake is owned by Kinsey.

"We're looking forward to the event," said Kinsey. "We were selected out of more than 200 companies which submitted items."

Kinsey submitted two items during the preliminary show at Columbia. QVC selected the "Death by Chocolate Cookie Wedge," said Kinsey

The cookie wedge is a fudgy type of brownie baked as a 9-inch round cake and sliced into wedges.

The Missouri items were selected by QVC from among more than 200 small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs who displayed products during trade shows at Columbia.

"We're hoping to be swamped by calls," said Kinsey. "QVC's average viewing audience consists of millions of people.

About 61 million U.S. cable households have access to the program.