The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is an American restaurant company and distributor of cheesecakes based in the United States. Overton, the company’s founder, opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, in cheesecake factory miso salmon. The restaurant established the future chain’s pattern of featuring an eclectic menu, large portions, and signature cheesecakes.
Evelyn Overton opened a business after making a cheesecake for her husband’s employer in 1949. She opened a small cheesecake bakery in Detroit, Michigan, in the late 1950s, but eventually gave it up in order to raise her two children. She continued to supply cakes to several local restaurants through a kitchen in her basement. In 1978, Evelyn’s son David opened The Cheesecake Factory, a small salad-and-sandwich restaurant in Beverly Hills that sold 10 varieties of cheesecakes on a one-page menu. In 1983, he opened a second restaurant in Marina del Rey.
The 1990s saw the opening of the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant outside of Southern California. The new restaurant was located in Washington, D. The Cheesecake Factory was incorporated in 1992 and went public in September 1993. The company began changing its menu twice a year and added items including steaks, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. The company continued to open new restaurants and by 1995 was ranked 11th in the United States. As of April 2013, The Cheesecake Factory operated 162 restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory name in 36 states.