The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is an American restaurant company and distributor of cheesecakes based in the United States. The company operates 220 full-service restaurants: 206 under The Cheesecake Factory brand, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe brand, and one under the RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen brand. The Cheesecake Factory also operates two bakery production facilities—in Calabasas, California, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina—and licenses two bakery-based menus for other food service operators under The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe marque. Its cheesecakes and other baked goods can also be found in the cafes of many Barnes & Noble stores.

David M. Overton, the company's founder, opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, in 1978. The restaurant established the future chain's pattern of featuring an eclectic menu, large portions, and signature cheesecakes.