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If, like us, you think cheesecake should probably be its own food group, then there are a few things you absolutely need to know about the national restaurant chain dedicated to the dessert. The Cheesecake Factory might be your favorite destination for date night or even just a few slices of towering chocolate-chip cookie cheesecake to-go, but we bet you didn't know nearly half of the stuff about the company that you definitely should. Read on for all the details on your favorite dessert spot.
1. You Don't Have to Wait for the Check Anymore.
If you or someone you know has a habit of flagging down your server, desperately trying to catch his/her eye from across the room while miming an autograph, you can finally give your attempts at ESP a rest: Cheesecake Factory recently launched CakePay, an app that lets you split the bill and pay (including tip) directly from your smartphone.
2. Drake Name-Checks the Brand in a Song.
In "Celebrities, they're just like us!" news, the rapper famous for turning Dad-dancing in a turtleneck into a hit music video (ahem, "Hotline Bling"), confesses to being every bit as obsessed with the CF as you are: "Why you gotta fight with me at Cheesecake / You know I love to go there," he sings in "Childs Play." It prompted the brand to tweet a photo of a helicopter delivering the dessert to the singer:
3. The Chain's Getting in on the Superfood Trend.
With a menu that's longer than most children's books, it's a wonder that the company can even dream up more items to add, and yet, it continually does. The latest: a Super Foods menu, which features antioxidant-rich recipes, like almond-crusted salmon salad, kale and quinoa salad, and yes, even an on-the-nose super antioxidant salad, which features spinach, kale, avocado, broccoli grapes and more.
4. It all began from a1940s newspaper clipping.
Evelyn Overton used a recipe she found in the paper to craft her own "Original" cheesecake that everyone knows (and is totally obsessed with) today. After that, she opened up a small shop in her basement Detroit, MI.
5. The first official outpost opened in 1972.
The Los Angeles location was called The Cheesecake Factory Bakery and it wasn't until 1978 that Overton's son, David, debuted the first iteration of The Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills with a dessert-forward menu.
6. There are nearly 200 locations today.
The chain has expanded to 39 states and five countries, but continues to open more locations regularly, including highly anticipated locales in New York City, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
7. It's one of the best companies to work for.
According to Fortune, the Cheesecake Factory ranked as #92 on the magazine's 2014 list and was the only L.A.-based company to make the cut. Before that, the magazine slated it as the number 6 most-admired company in the food industry in 2013.
8. You can send someone a slice of cheesecake on Twitter.
The Cheesecake Factory offers a tweet-enabled gift-card service that lets customers purchase $10 gift cards, write a personal message, and then the brand will pass it along to your friend via Twitter.
9. There are 30 different types of cheesecake to choose from.
And the most popular ones are White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle and Dulce De Leche Caramel.
10. Your cheesecake comes from one of two bakeries.
With more than 700 crew members combined the Calabasas, CA and Rocky Mont, NC facilities churn out sweets for the entire company to serve in its restaurants. And there's Tiramisu, too!
11. Some of the menu items are crazy-high in calories.
We love the warm apple crisp and peanut-butter cup cheesecake as much as the next person, but they each contain more calories than you should consume in an entire day.
12. The restaurant almost always has a deal going on.
Whether it's National Cheesecake Day, social media giveaways, or just a simple sale, the Cheesecake Factory just really wants to let you eat cake. (Right now, the brand is partnering with Coca-Cola to send someone to Las Vegas.)
13. Your cake always arrives with an intricate garnish.
Delicate scribbles of caramel sauce, perfectly piled dollops of whipped cream, tons of crumbled graham crackers ... you get the idea.
14. You can eat your favorite dessert and your favorite candy, too.
The chain has partnered with brands like Snickers, Reese's, and even Oreo to bring you authentic riffs on your favorite sweets and snacks (much like our amazing Kit Kat brownies).
15. Brown bread makes for the most epic menu hack.
The renowned pre-dinner snack—always served warm and toasty in a bread basket—can be subbed in for the traditional bread options on the club sandwich or any sub. And it's heavenly.
16. The drinks are just as decadent as the desserts.
Café mochas and caramel-sauced macchiatos, frozen peach bellinis, strawberry creamsicles—the treat yo' self mentality never ends. And we're totally okay with that.
17. You can get entire cheesecakes delivered to your door.
Thanks to a partnership with Harry & David, cheesecake obsessives can take a big bite out of their favorite flavors—just by walking over to the fridge. Best. Gift. Ever.
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