A Must-Know Guide to The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) is a casual restaurant chain that was founded in 1978. The California-based company owns and operates 201 restaurants.
June 2 2016, Updated 2:08 p.m. ET
A brief introduction
The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) is a casual restaurant chain that was founded by David Overton in 1978. The California-based company owns and operates 201 restaurants, of which 188 are under the brand name of The Cheesecake Factory, 12 are under the name Grand Lux Cafe, and one is under the name RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen.
The company also operates 11 restaurants in the Middle East and Mexico under licensing agreements.
CAKE’s products and competitors
The Cheesecake Factory’s main attraction initially was its signature cheesecakes, which are available in 50 variants. Over time, other core menu items were added, including pizza, seafood, steaks, chicken, burgers, small plates, pastas, salads, sandwiches, omelets, and desserts. Today, The Cheesecake Factory’s menu has an impressive 200 items to choose from.
The company competes with DineEquity’s (DIN) Applebee’s, Darden Restaurants’ (DRI) Longhorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse (TXRH), and Brinker International’s (EAT) Chili’s Grill & Bar.
In this series. . .
This company overview series will provide you with insights into CAKE’s products, its business model, and the factors affecting its revenue growth. We’ll also do a thorough financial analysis of the company and evaluate its valuation multiple and recent stock performance.
You can gain exposure to the restaurant industry through the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLY), which invests about 10% of its portfolio in restaurant stocks, including some of those mentioned above.
Let’s start by tracking the evolution of The Cheesecake Factory in more detail.