The Cheesecake Factory is a beloved dining institution with good reason. They serve over 100 million people a year around the world while preparing 250 dishes from scratch! With impressive, massive portions, the friendliest service in an iconic inviting atmosphere, they credit their success to a commitment to serving delicious food. But it’s not that simple, as the biggest menu in the restaurant business doesn’t just come to life as soon as you’ve placed your order.
When it comes down to getting the flavors right every single time, making sure the food leaving their kitchens is at the perfect temperature and is immaculately presented, while catering to your kid’s craving for corn dogs and your partner’s peanut allergy, there is a science behind preparing every dish from scratch at The Cheesecake Factory. They run a streamlined kitchen operation that sets a fine example of how dedication, hard work and organization makes for a successful formula that is all about being committed to making delicious food.
A VISION FOR DELICIOUSNESS
There is a vision and set of standards set by The Cheesecake Factory’s founder David Overton which is telling of his successful forty plus year journey. It all begins with the quality of the people that work in the restaurant. They are the real success behind the brand because they are the foundations behind the well-oiled machine that is The Cheesecake Factory kitchen.
And while it may be easier to take shortcuts in the kitchen, like buying pre chopped ingredients or outsourcing sauces and marinade recipes to other suppliers, they have decided against that. The Cheesecake Factory always wants the best for their customers, and therefore they source the best ingredients and make everything in house.
WE (TRIED) TO REVERSE ENGINEER OUR FAVORITE DISHES
Luau Salad: One of bazaar’s favorite salads at The Cheesecake Factory is the Luau Salad. It’s got everything you would want in a salad, crunch, texture and umami. I asked Area Kitchen Operations Manager Chef Bill Zito for the recipe (okay, I asked Chef Bill for all the recipes), and he laughingly told me that I’m better off ordering it at the restaurant or getting it delivered. The ‘simple’ salad alone is made up of 10-12 different recipes put together, several dressings, three different types of lettuce, pineapple salsa, cucumber salad, then there’s making the wanton shells from scratch, roasting the bell peppers, and honestly, I had to stop taking notes. I was amazed by how every component of this not-so-simple salad comes together from scratch, and no, I will never attempt recreating this favorite at home.
Avocado Egg Rolls: Consider the humble Avocado Egg Roll. This has been one of The Cheesecake Factory’s most popular appetizers for an astounding twenty years because of its inimitable flavor, and the restaurant’s commitment to making it from scratch, i.e., the right way, every single time. The best Hass avocados are sourced from either California or Mexico, the dish takes about four hours of prep and the sauce involves a complex recipe that includes ingredients like tamarind, ginger, cashews, garlic—They essentially create a flavor palette that you know so well and love so much and make it look easy while they’re at it.
Fried Macaroni and Cheese Balls: There are no short-cuts at The Cheesecake Factory, except for maybe one when you consider that this dish uses dried pasta. Everything else though, is a monumental task when it comes to making it from scratch.
This favorite appetizer comes together across a whopping 2-day process, it’s “Insanity at its best!” says Chef Bill, “everything is made from scratch aside from the pasta.” Carefully measured portions of five different cheeses (hello!) are shredded, the pasta is cooked, and next it’s on to the marinara sauce prep which marries the fried mac and cheese pasta balls together. Before all of that though, the mac and cheese base is baked and cooled overnight, then taken out the next day to be scooped into balls, battered, and fried before they are plated for service.
BUT THEY MAKE IT ALL LOOK SO EASY!
Making all 250 dishes from scratch is an extremely differentiated process. The Cheesecake Factory’s team has to work with 1000 prep recipes, prep meats, caramelize vegetables, make marinades, dressings and mixtures, every single day. They also work with over 24 vendors to source the best ingredients, receiving produce every day to make sure that the planned-out kitchen operation goes on without a hitch.
By 9:30 am, the kitchen is already buzzing. Everyone is super focused. Pestos and salsas are being prepared along with a jaw-dropping amount of other prep processes, and there is an impeccably labelled fridge system that will floor even the most obsessive planners. Every ingredient is organized using a tamper proof system so that the team knows if they need to make more. Talk about batch prep #ftw.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THAT MISE, MAN
The late Anthony Bourdain once wrote, “The universe is in order when your station is set up the way you like it: you know where to find everything with your eyes closed, everything you need during the course of the shift is at the ready at arm’s reach, your defenses are deployed.” The Cheesecake Factory are masters of Mise En Place, which translates to putting everything in its place. In cooking, the phrase means that everything is instantly accessible, prepped and ready for immediate use. Everything is within arm’s reach for the person working. Every inch of space is designed ergonomically for efficient and ambidextrous use.
PUTTING ALL THAT PREP TO ACTION
A kitchen operation of this scale requires an infrastructure that enables productivity, hard work, and encourages focus. At The Cheesecake Factory, we’ve discovered that making things from scratch comes down to calculated processes and science, and technology is also employed to guarantee consistency and the same processes are repeated without mistakes.
There is a touch screen at every station that shows all of the recipes, including ingredients, videos, measurements and techniques. There is even a photo of the plated dish, so that it arrives at your table exactly the way it should.
The Cheesecake Factory is located on the Waterfront on Gulf Road next to the Kuwait Towers, Grand Avenue – The Avenues, Sidra Restaurants in Mahboula. For more information, follow @TheCheesecakeFactoryME on Instagram.
