7 Things Cheesecake Factory Employees Want You To Know (2024)

We've already asked fast-food employees what we should never order at our favorite chains. We've reported on the craziest incidents at restaurants like Waffle House. And we uncovered all of the mistakes you're making when ordering at Dunkin' Donuts. But what we're really dying to know now is the secrets we'd otherwise never know about the Cheesecake Factory.

1. There is a clear favorite.

Red Velvet is, hands down, the most popular cheesecake on the menu. Though employees tend to favor the seasonal flavors like piña colada and pumpkin spice.

2. Hosts are, in fact, the reason you wait so long.

If you're a walk-in, chances are you will be sitting in the lobby for a while until you're ushered to a table. However, some servers on Reddit noted that they have waited for guests to fill their empty tables on very busy nights. But a former hostess noted that the job is harder than it seems and it's very easy to be bad at it. "It's stressful (people in your face vs. sitting at a table) and you have to think on your feet and get creative with seating people sometimes," she wrote. "If the place takes reservations you have to balance walk ins with reservations and keep in mind reservations you have coming in later. Things can get hairy if you aren't constantly paying attention."

3. The cheesecakes are pre-made and frozen.

They're made in a central, corporate-run kitchen and then frozen to be shipped to locations all over. "They take about an hour to two to defrost," one Redditor explained. "They leave them in the showcase all day so they are defrosting and staying chilled. Still taste amazing!" We have to agree.

4. The menu takes months to fully learn.

Servers only get two weeks to memorize the basics but it typically takes a few months to become comfortable with the vast number of options. One server commented: "A year later and I still have questions some times but it's never looked down upon to ask questions."

5. Employees also volunteer in their communities.

Some locations give homeless and those in need a place to sit down and food to eat for Thanksgiving. At all locations, if you buy the Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake, 25 cents is donated to Feeding America.

6. Servers actually don't mind your substitutions.

When asked if menu hacking or substitutions bother them, one server replied "No, it's pretty simple. I'd rather show I'm competent."

7. The work perks are pretty insane.

If you're a general manager at the Cheesecake Factory, you're able to drive a company-leased BMW. And anyone who works at least 25 hours is offered full benefits—plus plenty of free cheesecake. Because duh.

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