A night out at The Cheesecake Factory is an extremely memorable dining experience.
From the bizarre decor to the enormous portion sizes, not to mention its decadent selection
of cheesecakes, this restaurant has earned a well-deserved reputation for going big.
Obviously, The Cheesecake Factory is best known for its cheesecakes.
While the restaurant's savory offerings are good, too, cheesecakes are the main event.
But what you may not know is that the restaurant originally started with just one recipe for
an original cheesecake. Evelyn Overton found a recipe in a newspaper, and the rest was history.
In an interview with "Vice," David Overton, Evelyn's son
and the actual founder of The Cheesecake Factory, said that his mother used the
recipe to start her own business out of her home in Detroit. He explained,
"She took all of her equipment from this store in Detroit. [She] moved it into her basement,
and then for 25 years she made cheesecakes in Detroit out of her basement."
According to ABC News, the recipe is pretty basic,
but Evelyn clearly knew what she was doing. Her cheesecake business became a success,
allowing her to help support her family without even leaving her home.
Although Evelyn Overton's business started in Detroit, it was in California that it really
began to pick up speed. Her son explained to "Vice" that at the time that Evelyn and
her husband Oscar decided to move, she made cheesecakes more as a hobby than anything
else. But David Overton encouraged his mother to turn her passion into a serious business pursuit.
Even in California, however, things started out slowly.
Oscar propelled the business by driving door-to-door to restaurants,
trying to sell them cheesecakes. But David knew his parents were capable of more. He told "Vice,"
"I felt they were a little too mom-and-pop.
I always felt I was good at business — knew I was good at business. The band I was in,
I always took the business role. I moved down here, and everything really started to go well."
With some guidance from David, Evelyn started providing the Los Angeles area
with a variety of cheesecakes in an effort to take her business to the next level.
Even though the Overton family had come a long way since Evelyn first started baking
cheesecakes in her Detroit basement, the first actual Cheesecake Factory restaurant
didn't open until 1978, years after the first official cheesecake was made. The restaurant,
a product of David's creativity, opened in Beverly Hills, California.
Linda Candioty, the Vice President of Guest Experience at The Cheesecake Factory, was there
on opening day to witness the restaurant's instant success. She shared with "Vice,"
"They were waiting in line in front of our restaurant. I cannot explain it.
We opened and were busy from the first moment. [...] People were excited."
David agreed, saying:
"Literally in ten minutes… every seat was full, and it just kept on going."
What was it that made the restaurant so popular?
David shared his thoughts with "Nation's Restaurant News":
"We just struck a chord with people for good, simple,
straightforward fresh food. The menu was so simple. We had a few burgers, a few omelets,
a few salads. The one thing that always stood out was the fresh strawberry cheesecake."
The restaurant's popularity only grew, and by 1991, The Cheesecake Factory had expanded to
having five restaurants across the United States, an impressive feat.
"You have got to try this cheesecake."
"Oh, you know, I'm not that much of a sweet tooth—wow, my god, so creamy!"
"Oh!"
When you consider how widespread The Cheesecake Factory franchise is,
it's strange to remember its modest beginnings. Founder David Overton confessed to "Vice,"
"At the beginning I didn't know it was going to be a chain. I didn't open it to be a chain."
However, the popularity of the menu drove things forward.
"I didn't really realize what I was doing when I kept putting items on,
but the items were good [and] people liked [the big menu]. As we figured out how to do that,
we got busier. [...] And then I thought, OK. I'll open one a year."
Obviously, Overton ended up opening more than one a year—there
are now over 200 Cheesecake Factories worldwide!
Although The Cheesecake Factory's menu started out small, anyone who's been there in recent
years can tell you that it didn't stay that way. In fact, it's more of a book than a
menu. According to "Thrillist," the menu is actually 21 pages long and has 250 items on it,
which can make ordering a real struggle. But how did this transformation occur?
Founder David Overton told "Thrillist" that when The Cheesecake Factory first opened,
he was one of the people cooking, so the menu was relatively simple. He explained,
"I wasn't a chef, I had no experience in the restaurant business either,
and I didn't want any chef we hired to walk out on me. So,
I made sure that everything we served was something I could make myself."
As Overton got more comfortable cooking, he started to expand the menu,
modifying dishes he'd enjoyed at other restaurants. Eventually,
the growth became part of the restaurant's draw. Overton told "Thrillist,"
"Finally, I thought, 'Well, there's nothing that America wants that we
shouldn't be able to put on the menu.' So, we just kept at it."
"Three four combos extra bacon on the side, two chili cheese samplers,
a basket of liver and onion rings, a catch of the day, and a steak cut in the shape of a trout!"
With a menu as large as The Cheesecake Factory's, it would be pretty understandable for the
restaurant chain to never really change what they offer. After all, with 250 items to choose from,
how could anyone ever get bored of the menu? But in fact, the company switches things up
more often than you'd think. Of course, The Cheesecake Factory always keeps its
most popular items on the menu, but it also rotates in new items on a regular basis.
In an interview with "Nation's Restaurant News," David Overton explained the menu system:
"We've changed the menu twice a year, every year,
for 40 years. We don't rest on our laurels. There's nothing that America wants to eat
that can't go on The Cheesecake Factory menu. And I think we've improved it."
It's unclear when exactly those menu changes take place,
but in an interview with "Thrillist," Overton mentioned that when the restaurant first
started, they changed the menu in June and December. So, if you want to try new items,
try going in one of those months and see if you can detect any changes!
Another characteristic that sets The Cheesecake Factory apart is its decor.
Each Cheesecake Factory establishment, whether it's in Los Angeles or Austin,
pretty much looks identical to every other Cheesecake Factory out there. But
if you believe these interiors leave a lot to be desired, you're not alone — even Rick McCormack,
the chain's designer, knows the decor is pretty awful. In an interview with "Eater," he admitted;
"If I try to describe to you what it looks like,
you'd probably think it was one of the most horrible-looking places around."
What design elements make up the restaurant's Frankenstein-like interiors? McCormack explained:
"We have these French limestone floors, then we throw in some Egyptian columns,
Victorian beadboard wood paneling — a really eclectic mix — which most people wouldn’t
be brave enough to try, but, fortunately, the way we assembled them, it worked pretty well."
Say what you will, but McCormack is right—the bizarre design
definitely helps The Cheesecake Factory stick in people's minds.
If there's one thing that most everyone who eats at The Cheesecake Factory can agree on,
it's that the free brown bread served before each meal is a cut above.
It's actually one of two breads in the bread basket, the other being sourdough,
but the brown bread is what sets the restaurant apart. According to founder David Overton,
we have him to thank for the simple, yet appealing, appetizer. He told "Vice,"
"I used a very good sourdough guy who was in LA, and I tasted what was then called squaw bread,
and I asked him if he could make that for me in the long shape. It turned out to be delicious,
and we started serving both breads on the table instead of just sourdough, and people loved it."
People love it so much, it's even sold at most grocery stores!
According to "Delish," you can also request it for any sandwich at the restaurant—no
doubt enhancing an already great culinary experience.
When most people think of The Cheesecake Factory, they probably think of the wacky decor,
large menu, and of course, the decadent cheesecakes. But there's another thing
the restaurant is known for, and it might surprise you. Believe it or not,
The Cheesecake Factory is reported to be a great place to work.
In 2020, the chain was ranked as the 12th best place to work by "Fortune" — marking
its seventh year on the publication's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list.
What makes it such a great employer? For one thing, the restaurant has a conscience — since
2008, the company has donated 5.6 million pounds of excess food to soup kitchens,
shelters, transitional housing, and after-school programs.
Cheesecake Factory employees have also had very positive things to say about company management.
"Fortune" quoted one employee as saying,
“I would say that the openness and supportive management team
is unparalleled to anywhere else I have worked.”
If you've ever found yourself wanting to spend your entire paycheck at Cheesecake Factory,
you're not alone. The food may not be the most expensive, but the menu is so exciting that it's
not hard to drop some major cash on just one dinner there. That said, you would probably
never imagine spending thousands of dollars at The Cheesecake Factory week after week, right?
Well, for one professional athlete, that's exactly what an obsession with the restaurant led to.
According to "SportsCasting," football player Vince Young was known to spend
$5,000 per week at The Cheesecake Factory during his rookie year. To be fair,
Young would often pay for everyone at his table — and when you consider the fact that his guests
were typically fellow football players, his huge food bills make a bit more sense. Besides,
who wouldn't want to dig into some cheesecake after a long day of football practice?
The Cheesecake Factory walks a fine line between casual chain restaurant and special night out.
Sure, you don't need to get all dressed up to go eat there,
but it's definitely a lot nicer than your average Chili's — which is kind of the point.
According to founder David Overton, The Cheesecake Factory wants to be
a little nicer than your typical chain restaurant. He told "Vice,"
"We coined the phrase 'upscale casual dining.' [...] [For] the most part,
if you had more money, you would come to Cheesecake."
Linda Candioty agreed.
"We had business people. [...] We had stars. [...] We had actors. Sylvester
Stallone came in, and I seated him, and he wanted that table by the window,
but I had people waiting. I said, ‘I can't give it to you. Come back in a half hour.’"
A moderately-priced restaurant that's so successful it's turning away Sylvester
Stallone? That's about as upscale casual as it gets.
There's one defining feature of The Cheesecake Factory we haven't mentioned yet. When dining
at the restaurant, you may notice that it's nearly impossible to finish an
entire Cheesecake Factory entree in one sitting.
"These are the biggest salads in the history of mankind!"
"I know! I'm already full and I haven't even made a dent!"
"I'm out of salad."
What you may not know is that the restaurant has a reason for that.
David Gordon, the President of The Cheesecake Factory, explained to "Vice,"
"The portions are large because we want people
to share. We want people to have experiential dining."
Founder David Overton says his parents had a hand
in the portion sizes, as well. He told "Thrillist,"
"Growing up, my parents used to go down to Miami and gush about the large portions
they commonly saw down there. Again, I didn't have restaurant experience,
but it just seemed like the right thing to do for our business."
And really, who doesn't love those big Cheesecake Factory portions that the chain is known for?
If you can't finish your meal, you can take it home and eat it later. It's a win-win.
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