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Have to say I’m a bit surprised to see an article about The Cheesecake Factory on HN. I’ve been there a few times (though it’s been a while), and I never was im

Have to say I’m a bit surprised to see an article about The Cheesecake Factory on HN. I’ve been there a few times (though it’s been a while), and I never was impressed. It just seemed like an overpriced, overcrowded version of every other American chain that couldn’t really figure out what it wanted to specialize in [1], so it just offered everything. The “serve everything” food chain seems to be an overcrowded space in the US. Maybe I’m in the minority, but I never really understood the appeal. 1. Besides cheesecake, but I don’t think that many people really go there for cheesecake. Most people are usually too full for dessert at restaurants like this.

_ea1k 3y ago
I haven't been often, but I feel like I always saw a lot of orders for cheesecake. Many of them were to go orders, both by people eating there and people just going for cheesecake.
- peanuty1 3y ago
  Target also sells their cheesecake in frozen boxes.
  - yurishimo 3y ago
    It's a cheesecake. They're stored chilled or frozen all the time in a normal bakery too. Freezing makes the most sense for a product that needs to make it from the store to your house without compromising quality. If it's simply chilled, it could start to make a mess before you get home. Your statement isn't indicative of anything in regards to quality of the product.
thereisnospork 3y ago
Re: 1, in my anecdotal experience everyone orders a cheesecake, even if they're too full and take it to go. Which is why they are my favorite restaurant (from a business pov): they've made a restaurant work around a dessert upsell.
rhaway84773 3y ago
That’s why the nostalgia explanation in the article makes a lot of sense. I did not grow up eating Cheesecake Factory, and so when I went there for the first time as an adult, the food was pretty unimpressive.
brenns10 3y ago
> Maybe I'm in the minority, but I never really understood the appeal. I think one of the theses of the article is that a lot of its success derives from the nostalgia it earned getting associated with "special occasions" for millennials growing up. And the other being that, while nobody may be clambering for any particular dish from the menu, it's a pretty easy inoffensive choice for a group of people who all want different things. I'm generally with you, but the nostalgia thing seems to fall squarely in the category of "either you get it or you don't"
raincole 3y ago
> The “serve everything” food chain The appeal is that if you have a large group of people, everyone can find something they likes.
m463 3y ago
I have to say the same thing. It is mediocre. and the quote in the article "I have a deep love of chain restaurants period, but Cheesecake is the pinnacle." just sounded like a sponsored message. I recall going there a couple years ago and the menu had advertisements. I asked the waitress and she cheerfully said "Lots of people really like it!" ... and only later did I realize that was probably a script. I suspect people go there because of fear someone won't find something on the menu - not play to win, play to not lose.
extragood 3y ago
I went once, with my first "serious" girlfriend, 15+ years ago. It was one of several trendy chain restaurants she insisted we visit as inexperienced high schoolers. This restaurant and the Elephant bar will forever remind me of her: aggressively middle class with aspirations of upper class experience without really knowing what that is. And on one hand, I do understand it. On the other, it felt tacky and desperate at the time, and I can't really ever shake that association for either place.
- astrange 3y ago
  You mean lower middle class with aspirations of medium middle class, I think. Upper class in 1998 could be steakhouses but could be McDonald's.
  - kuhewa 3y ago
    Objectively probably true, but the demographic of people that think cheesecake factory is fancy don't consider it medium middle class.
basisword 3y ago
I don’t know much about it but the fawning over a chain restaurant in this thread really took me by surprise. For some people it seems like nostalgia but others really seem to love it.
hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
I disagree with this, and I do feel like a lot of the dislike for The Cheesecake Factory is just snobbery, having been guilty of it myself in the past (e.g. the sibling comment "This restaurant and the Elephant bar will forever remind me of her: aggressively middle class with aspirations of upper class experience without really knowing what that is.") That said, I certainly can understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea and why they wouldn't like it. The one thing I can't understand is the "overpriced" comment. Recently went with a fairly large group and was pretty shocked how low the total price per person was. Granted, a lot of that was because with the famously large portions a few folks shared, but it was still a better value than the vast majority of other places.
- winrid 3y ago
  It's not snobbery. My partner, who is from another country, asked me why people like Cheesecake Factory so much. She says Dairy Queen food is better lol
xarope 3y ago
Strange, the experience I've had is that the waiters always remind you to save space for dessert!

_ea1k 3y ago

I haven't been often, but I feel like I always saw a lot of orders for cheesecake. Many of them were to go orders, both by people eating there and people just going for cheesecake.

peanuty1 3y ago
Target also sells their cheesecake in frozen boxes.
- yurishimo 3y ago
  It's a cheesecake. They're stored chilled or frozen all the time in a normal bakery too. Freezing makes the most sense for a product that needs to make it from the store to your house without compromising quality. If it's simply chilled, it could start to make a mess before you get home. Your statement isn't indicative of anything in regards to quality of the product.

thereisnospork 3y ago

Re: 1, in my anecdotal experience everyone orders a cheesecake, even if they're too full and take it to go. Which is why they are my favorite restaurant (from a business pov): they've made a restaurant work around a dessert upsell.

rhaway84773 3y ago

That’s why the nostalgia explanation in the article makes a lot of sense. I did not grow up eating Cheesecake Factory, and so when I went there for the first time as an adult, the food was pretty unimpressive.

brenns10 3y ago

> Maybe I'm in the minority, but I never really understood the appeal. I think one of the theses of the article is that a lot of its success derives from the nostalgia it earned getting associated with "special occasions" for millennials growing up. And the other being that, while nobody may be clambering for any particular dish from the menu, it's a pretty easy inoffensive choice for a group of people who all want different things. I'm generally with you, but the nostalgia thing seems to fall squarely in the category of "either you get it or you don't"

raincole 3y ago

> The “serve everything” food chain The appeal is that if you have a large group of people, everyone can find something they likes.

m463 3y ago

I have to say the same thing. It is mediocre. and the quote in the article "I have a deep love of chain restaurants period, but Cheesecake is the pinnacle." just sounded like a sponsored message. I recall going there a couple years ago and the menu had advertisements. I asked the waitress and she cheerfully said "Lots of people really like it!" ... and only later did I realize that was probably a script. I suspect people go there because of fear someone won't find something on the menu - not play to win, play to not lose.

extragood 3y ago

I went once, with my first "serious" girlfriend, 15+ years ago. It was one of several trendy chain restaurants she insisted we visit as inexperienced high schoolers. This restaurant and the Elephant bar will forever remind me of her: aggressively middle class with aspirations of upper class experience without really knowing what that is. And on one hand, I do understand it. On the other, it felt tacky and desperate at the time, and I can't really ever shake that association for either place.

astrange 3y ago
You mean lower middle class with aspirations of medium middle class, I think. Upper class in 1998 could be steakhouses but could be McDonald's.
- kuhewa 3y ago
  Objectively probably true, but the demographic of people that think cheesecake factory is fancy don't consider it medium middle class.

basisword 3y ago

I don’t know much about it but the fawning over a chain restaurant in this thread really took me by surprise. For some people it seems like nostalgia but others really seem to love it.

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago

I disagree with this, and I do feel like a lot of the dislike for The Cheesecake Factory is just snobbery, having been guilty of it myself in the past (e.g. the sibling comment "This restaurant and the Elephant bar will forever remind me of her: aggressively middle class with aspirations of upper class experience without really knowing what that is.") That said, I certainly can understand why it's not everyone's cup of tea and why they wouldn't like it. The one thing I can't understand is the "overpriced" comment. Recently went with a fairly large group and was pretty shocked how low the total price per person was. Granted, a lot of that was because with the famously large portions a few folks shared, but it was still a better value than the vast majority of other places.

winrid 3y ago
It's not snobbery. My partner, who is from another country, asked me why people like Cheesecake Factory so much. She says Dairy Queen food is better lol

xarope 3y ago

Strange, the experience I've had is that the waiters always remind you to save space for dessert!