The Cheesecake Factory Is Doing Well Despite Old Rumors Of Closing Forever
Hold on to your fettuccini Alfredo and your Godiva chocolate cheesecake — if you're a fan of The Cheesecake Factory, then we've got some news for you.
Rumors started swirling back in October 2020 that the beloved Italian-meets-everything else you could dream of restaurant would be shutting its doors, and the internet — like with most things nowadays — ran with it. Given the incredible effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the food industry, it's a believable thought; Datassential reports that over 10% of U.S. restaurants had to close due to the financial impact of the pandemic (via Nation's Restaurant News).
Fans of the chain took to Facebook and Twitter to share in their solace that their beloved Cheesecake Factory would be another statistic. Twitter user @Maraimani joined in on the social media firestorm, writing "So Cheesecake Factory closing??? What am I suppose [sic] to do without my lemon raspberry cheesecake," and ending with a very apt — and justified — "I hate 2020."
A Cheesecake Factory business is closing, but not the one you think
According to Snopes, there's no need to stress — despite the rumored close, The Cheesecake Factory isn't going anywhere. Gabrielle Gaines, a spokesperson for the company, also confirmed the restaurant's status to Daily Caller News Foundation, explaining that "there is absolutely no truth to this," and that "The Cheesecake Factory is not planning to close any locations" (via Check Your Fact).
The source of the confusion? The Cheesecake Factory Inc. — the parent company of the popular chain restaurant, which operates several other small chains in the U.S. — announced back in October 2020 that another restaurant in its portfolio would be ceasing operations. Yahoo reported that Los Angeles-based RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen would be shutting down in an article titled "Cheesecake Factory Is Closing This Business For Good," and some die-hard cheesecake fans panicked before reading the whole story. That being said, can we really blame them? A life without The Cheesecake Factory's loaded nachos sounds like something worth panicking about, after all.
Cheesecake Factory is prepared for business to boom again
As the coronavirus pandemic lessens its grip on the restaurant industry, The Cheesecake Factory is actually doing the very opposite of shutting down — instead, the fusion chain is thriving.
The restaurant shared its surprising financial success for the fiscal year 2020 earlier this year, and the numbers alone are enough to keep the doors open for future date nights. Despite the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant saw a total revenue of $554.6 million in the fourth quarter, which was only down from $694 million the year prior — not too bad, given the circumstances!
In a recent June 2021 update, The Cheesecake Factory also shared that they're excited to get back to full operations soon, especially as more staff and guests become fully vaccinated. The chain has even implemented brand new purification systems to protect patrons, so rest assured: Your favorite fusion dinner spot is certainly here to stay.