The Cheesecake Factory holds many fond memories for people from all over the world. Having been around for over 40 years, the restaurant continues to grow in popularity. You may wonder what their secret is, but anyone who has been a loyal guest would know the answer. One of the main reasons that keeps people coming back for more is the fact that The Cheesecake Factory creates each and every dish from scratch, never compromising on flavor and quality.

Another major reason is their large portions, which are fantastic for sharing! But the truly distinguishable trait is their diverse menu which is known to satisfy all palates and fulfil every craving.

Long known to please all taste buds, the variety of their menus (which offer over 250 different dishes), makes certain there is something for everyone. With two different menu rollouts a year during the spring and fall seasons, they continue to be on top of it every season, serving appropriate dishes throughout the year.

Not only are these menus completely unique to the concept, but the engineering that goes into their three different menu options is impeccable.With a plethora of options available, this allows you to choose from the main menu, the Skinnylicious or the kids menu.You will not be disappointed at The Cheesecake Factory!

bazaar visited The Cheesecake Factory and while enjoying our made from scratch dishes, we got a chance to interview Chef Bill, who is the current Area Kitchen Operations Manager. During our chat with him, we got a better understanding of more behind the scenes information. Chef Bill, whose full name is William (Bill) Zito grew up in Chicago and studied Resort Management.

From then, he has worked with The Cheesecake Factory for over 24 years and was even a part of opening the first international The Cheesecake Factory! A great achievement for sure. Another great milestone in his life was becoming an Executive Kitchen Manager by the age of 24.

What inspired you to become a chef?

Growing up in a restaurant, I was always intrigued by how a chef takes raw ingredients and turns them into a work of art with so many different flavors – I wanted to know how this was done and was determined to be able to do so myself too.

What is your favorite childhood food related memory?

Making dinner for my younger sisters! It started with simple meals like Kraft Mac & Cheese, and eventually evolved into more complex creations, with me adding whatever I could find in our kitchen. I would cook everything from hot dogs to pizza or anything I could put in a pan. Most of the time it was a fail, but every now and then something delicious would come together. Any creation involving ketchup was my youngest sister’s favorite.

Who was your first food hero/chef inspiration?

Emeril Lagasse, I loved when he would toss in spices to his pan and scream “Bam”. He made cooking look fun and magical. I was fortunate enough to see him in person while he was opening a restaurant at the Venetian, Las Vegas back in 1999. A group of us wandered over to his restaurant (cannot remember the name) to see some of the magic happening. At the time I was a young cook at The Cheesecake Factory, so we were all wearing chef apparel – chef coat and checkered pants. As we approached the door to take a look inside, we noticed a camera crew filming the action. At that moment he noticed us, a group of fellow cooks, and paused the filming to come over and greet us. Not only was he welcoming but he also took the time to talk to us about what food means to him – along with a cool photo session. This was a moment that I will never forget. From that moment on, I always make sure to spend time with new aspiring chefs, you never know who you might inspire.

What is your favorite quote?

“If everything seems under control you are not moving fast enough” – Mario Andrette

What dish did you create or are most proud of? And could you please describe it?

I love the art of creating or cooking a burger over a char broiler. If there is one item that I always want to make sure it’s perfect, it’s the burger. Setting your grill to the precise temperature and getting the perfect sear marks on your meat as it cooks to a perfect doneness (pink juicy center), all while seasoning each bite for a bold finish – that is an art! Some people may think it is easy but so is painting and yet you still find paint on door hinges and floors. There is an art and skill to making each dish perfect, even burgers.

What is your comfort food?

By now you can probably guess, a great burger; but I also fancy slow smoked ribs.

Which country’s cuisine is your favorite?

I have to say Vietnam, WOW! I did a food tour and visited some locations from the late Anthony Bourdain’s TV shows. I was not let down. The food starts off with very Asian tones then the French twists hit with the buttery depth of flavor. In the end, the culinary experience is full of flavor, different than anywhere else. Even local street vendors are making some incredible food. I could spend years eating and trying all the different foods Vietnam has to offer and don’t think I would ever be bored.

What advice would you give your younger self when you were first starting your career?

Read more on food science and dig deeper into which foods can pair well with each other. Also knowing more about where foods come from and who the suppliers are.

What ingredient can’t you live without?

Salt.

What makes The Cheesecake Factory a unique place to work?

The people and culture! I never imagined as a young kid that someone like myself would be given an opportunity to work for such a great company, let alone be a part of the first international expansion. It is a great company that teaches you everything you need to grow, professionally and personally. And just when you think you know it, then they teach you more.

The huge menu at The Cheesecake Factory seems to be a major reason many people chose to dine there, how do you perfect the cooking process for all these different meals?

First hire amazingly talented people. Our teams interview thousands of people for just a few roles. It takes getting the right person for the job, one who is eager to learn. Once you have the right person you teach, teach and teach some more and soon you’ll see them shine! The final validation is when guests leave with full bellies and big smiles.

We heard that The Cheesecake Factory has two menu roll outs every year (one for the fall, one for spring), could you tell us a little bit about both?

Yes, we work closely with The Cheesecake Factory USA to bring new ingredients and plates to the menus. It’s not easy and takes about 8 months of work to get the products and training in place. Often, we are looking for products no one in the Middle East has, then we train our line cooks way in advance of launch on how to execute the new dishes.

It must be challenging to oversee such large kitchens and staff, how do you train the staff and coordinate, so everything is perfect?

Set a strong expectation and never settle for less than perfect. With food there is so much going on from the heat of the sauté pan to the thickness of your sauce. Always pushing for it to be slightly better than before keeps people on their toes and keeps the food coming out great.

What would you say makes the The Cheesecake Factory menu so unique?

We have all 250+ menu items made from scratch. To make this possible we have a large amount of prep cooks and line cooks chopping, cutting, cooking food for 20 hours a day in our kitchens. This enables us to deliver fresh quality meals and make sure every guest has a memorable experience.

What is the most special thing about your kitchens?

Our kitchens are massive in size, and not many restaurants do what we do or have a menu this big. We can make almost anything in our kitchens which allows for our menu to be diverse and unique.

Can you give us some insight on the taste pairing of some of the key dishes on the menu?

My recommendation is to indulge in something spicy for dinner, then finish with sweet and creamy cheesecakes like our Cinnabon Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake flavor cheesecake. If you take the savory route, then you can finish with a fruity cheesecake like a Pineapple Upside-Down Cheesecake.

With so many choices and big portions, what are some “The Cheesecake Factory Hacks” you can share with us to get the most out of our The Cheesecake Factory experience?

Start by getting a slice of cheesecake before your main course (too many people fill up and leave out one of the best parts). Secondly, don’t be afraid to try new foods. Our menus have pictures that can help with the decision. As the saying goes “people eat with their eyes” so this should help finding your new favorite dish. If you are still finding it difficult to decide then let us know, our staff or managers will gladly assist on some great recommendations. Also, the portion of our dishes are large enough that it makes them perfect for sharing; order a bunch to share so you try different flavors.

There are a lot of foodies in Kuwait, what has been your general observation and what do you think makes the local scene different from anywhere else in the world?

I think Kuwait loves food and that makes chefs work harder to keep the guest coming back. One of the main forms of entertainment here is dining out and that creates healthy competition for great food and restaurants- keeps me on my toes.

What is the most challenging thing for a chef in Kuwait, and what is the most rewarding?

The most challenging thing about being a chef in Kuwait is sourcing great local food. One day you start working with some ingredients and the next day you are waiting for the pending shipment. The most rewarding part is putting in all the hard work for perfect dishes and seeing people bite into them with a smile! People of Kuwait love great food and when you keep providing a great meal, you gain people’s trust. This rewarding aspect keeps me going week in and week out.

What do you predict the biggest food trend of 2021 will be?

I think some flashback dishes will start to come to life. I think in 2020 people spent a lot of time at home trying to recreate food they grew up with, or old dishes that they haven’t made in a long time. I think everyone wants to go back to a time before 2020. So, I predict old favorites making a comeback.

What advice would you give to aspiring chefs?

Try your food and figure out how to make it better. If you don’t know what it should taste like or how you want it to taste it will never be great.

Follow The Cheesecake Factory @TheCheesecakeFactoryMiddleEast
on Facebook and @thecheesecakefactoryme
on Instagram for their latest offerings, or visit their website thecheesecakefactoryme.com.