The 45-year history of The Cheesecake Factory: How a family bakery turned into global restaurant chain with an enormous menu

Nancy LunaAug 29, 2023, 15:59 IST

Cheesecake Factory employees.Associated Press

The first The Cheesecake Factory restaurant opened in Beverly Hills, California, in 1978.
Its CEO and founder, David Overton, opened it to promote his mother's cheesecake business.

The Cheesecake Factory is one of the top 40 restaurant chains in the US, known for its voluminous menu of cheesecakes, pastas, sandwiches, and appetizers, such as its famed avocado egg rolls.

But fans may not realize that the publicly traded company, with a market cap of nearly $1.7 billion, was a family-run bakery business for years before it scaled across the US and abroad.

"Growing up, it was all about cheesecake. And we knew people loved it," Cheesecake Factory CEO David Overton said in a video on the company's website.

Overton is referring to his mom's cheesecake business. On and off for years, Evelyn Overton sold her cheesecakes to local restaurants in Detroit and Los Angeles. But her wholesale bakery never took off. Many restaurants scoffed at the idea of selling flavored cheesecakes.

So the younger Overton, a musician at the time, decided to open a restaurant in 1978 to showcase his mom's variety of cheesecakes.

He had no restaurant experience. But he had determination.

"We knew we had the Cadillac of cheesecakes, and we knew that everyone loved our cheesecake," he said in the video. "I've got to get our cake to people."

Over the next 45 years, Overton turned his mom's cheesecakes into a national sensation. Slices and whole cakes are sold not only in restaurants but also in supermarkets around the US, including the grocery sections of Target and Walmart.

It all started with a recipe clipping from a Detroit newspaper.

Take a closer look at The Cheesecake Factory's early beginnings.

Evelyn Overton, with her husband, Oscar, started making cheesecakes for local restaurants in Detroit in the 1940s.

The Cheesecake Factory

"Growing up, it was all about cheesecake," David Overton said about his mother's cheesecakes.

David Overton in the late 1970s.The Cheesecake Factory

With the last of their savings, Oscar and Evelyn Overton packed up their car and drove cross-country to Los Angeles. They had $10,000 to their name.

The Cheesecake Factory

David Overton, a musician in the late '70s, moved to Los Angeles to help his parents promote the business.

David Overton showcases his mother's desserts at a trade show.The Cheesecake Factory

"We knew we had the Cadillac of cheesecakes," David Overton said. So he decided the only way to showcase his mom's cheesecakes would be to open a restaurant. He called it The Cheesecake Factory.

Staff of The Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills in the late '70s or early '80s.The Cheesecake Factory

"We knew we had the Cadillac of cheesecakes," David Overton said. So he decided the only way to showcase his mom's cheesecakes would be to open a restaurant. He called it The Cheesecake Factory.

The first two-sided menu was light on options by the chain's standards today. The restaurant sold breakfast and lunch entrées. A slice of cheesecake cost $1.25.

The Cheesecake Factory

Some of the cheesecake flavors were chocolate chip, peanut butter, mocha chocolate chip, and fresh strawberry.

The Cheesecake Factory

When The Cheesecake Factory opened in Beverly Hills in 1978, it featured a salad bar.

The Cheesecake Factory

Linda Candioty, a test baker turned company vice president, has been with The Cheesecake Factory since the opening of the Beverly Hills restaurant.

Linda Candioty in 1978.The Cheesecake Factory

Linda's fudge cake is one of the desserts that Candioty created while working as a test baker.

The Cheesecake Factory

David Overton had no initial plans to open a second restaurant. But he soon grew to love the business. In 1983, The Cheesecake Factory opened its second restaurant.

The Cheesecake Factory

Original Beverly Hills servers such as Mary D'Astugues wore café aprons. She would later become a crucial player in implementing restaurant designs.

Mary D'Astugues.The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory's famous murals started with the opening of the Redondo Beach restaurant in 1988.

The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory went public in 1992.

Associated Press

Many items on the menu are named after people. Adam's peanut-butter-cup fudge ripple, for example, is named after the founder's son Adam.

The Cheesecake Factory

The "Evelyn's Favorite Pasta" dish is named after David Overton's mom.

The Cheesecake Factory

The avocado egg roll, a top-selling appetizer, was inspired by David Overton's dining travels.

The Cheesecake Factory

In 2012, The Cheesecake Factory opened its first international location, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Cheesecake Factory

In 2016, the first Cheesecake Factory in Asia opened, in Shanghai.

The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory's famous "brown bread" launched in grocery stores in 2018.

The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory was one of the first national restaurant chains to work with DoorDash.

Screenshot

In 2019, The Cheesecake Factory expanded with the acquisition of Fox Restaurant Concepts, which owns the brands North Italia and Flower Child.

Yelp/North Italia

In 2020, the private-equity firm Roark Capital, whose fast-food empire includes Arby's and Jamba, invested $200 million in The Cheesecake Factory.

Insider

The newest restaurant opened in Corpus Christi, Texas, in December. It features a custom mural by D'Astugues.

The Cheesecake Factory

Today, the Cheesecake Factory menu has more than 250 items across 21 pages.

Associated Press

This year, The Cheesecake Factory appeared for the 10th time on Fortune's list of the best companies to work for.

Associated Press

Candioty, the server turned top Cheesecake Factory executive, said employees "are still having fun like we did in that one little café in Beverly Hills."

Today, the chain has 41,125 employees.The Cheesecake Factory

I tried the same steak at Texas Roadhouse and LongHorn and can see why the younger brand is more popular — even though it didn't have the better meal

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The 45-year history of The Cheesecake Factory: How a family bakery turned into global restaurant chain with an enormous menu

Evelyn Overton, with her husband, Oscar, started making cheesecakes for local restaurants in Detroit in the 1940s.

"Growing up, it was all about cheesecake," David Overton said about his mother's cheesecakes.

With the last of their savings, Oscar and Evelyn Overton packed up their car and drove cross-country to Los Angeles. They had $10,000 to their name.

David Overton, a musician in the late '70s, moved to Los Angeles to help his parents promote the business.

"We knew we had the Cadillac of cheesecakes," David Overton said. So he decided the only way to showcase his mom's cheesecakes would be to open a restaurant. He called it The Cheesecake Factory.

The first two-sided menu was light on options by the chain's standards today. The restaurant sold breakfast and lunch entrées. A slice of cheesecake cost $1.25.

Some of the cheesecake flavors were chocolate chip, peanut butter, mocha chocolate chip, and fresh strawberry.

When The Cheesecake Factory opened in Beverly Hills in 1978, it featured a salad bar.

Linda Candioty, a test baker turned company vice president, has been with The Cheesecake Factory since the opening of the Beverly Hills restaurant.

Linda's fudge cake is one of the desserts that Candioty created while working as a test baker.

David Overton had no initial plans to open a second restaurant. But he soon grew to love the business. In 1983, The Cheesecake Factory opened its second restaurant.

Original Beverly Hills servers such as Mary D'Astugues wore café aprons. She would later become a crucial player in implementing restaurant designs.

The Cheesecake Factory's famous murals started with the opening of the Redondo Beach restaurant in 1988.

The Cheesecake Factory went public in 1992.

Many items on the menu are named after people. Adam's peanut-butter-cup fudge ripple, for example, is named after the founder's son Adam.

The "Evelyn's Favorite Pasta" dish is named after David Overton's mom.

The avocado egg roll, a top-selling appetizer, was inspired by David Overton's dining travels.

In 2012, The Cheesecake Factory opened its first international location, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

In 2016, the first Cheesecake Factory in Asia opened, in Shanghai.

The Cheesecake Factory's famous "brown bread" launched in grocery stores in 2018.

The Cheesecake Factory was one of the first national restaurant chains to work with DoorDash.

In 2019, The Cheesecake Factory expanded with the acquisition of Fox Restaurant Concepts, which owns the brands North Italia and Flower Child.

In 2020, the private-equity firm Roark Capital, whose fast-food empire includes Arby's and Jamba, invested $200 million in The Cheesecake Factory.

The newest restaurant opened in Corpus Christi, Texas, in December. It features a custom mural by D'Astugues.

Today, the Cheesecake Factory menu has more than 250 items across 21 pages.

This year, The Cheesecake Factory appeared for the 10th time on Fortune's list of the best companies to work for.

Candioty, the server turned top Cheesecake Factory executive, said employees "are still having fun like we did in that one little café in Beverly Hills."