The Cheesecake Factory reported stronger-than-expected fiscal third-quarter results on Tuesday, even as the chain found itself at the center of a political spat ignited by former president Barack Obama. The California-based casual-dining company said revenue and comparable-restaurant sales rose sharply year over year, and executives pointed to menu changes and marketing efforts for the gain.
For the fiscal third quarter ended September 29, The Cheesecake Factory reported revenue of $1.03 billion, up nearly 14% from the prior year, and comparable sales at its restaurants increased more than 15% year over year. CEO David Overton attributed the sales growth to new menu items, its rewards program and increased social-media engagement.
“The Cheesecake Factory has long enjoyed tremendous brand affinity across generations, and its ability to attract younger guests reinforces the enduring appeal and relevance of our namesake concept,” Overton said during the company’s earnings presentation. The company’s executives did not address the political controversy during the earnings call, and the company has not publicly commented on the dispute.
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Cheesecake Factory posts earnings gain tied to site at center of Obama-Trump dispute
Thanks, Obama
The public debate began after Obama, speaking at a campaign rally in Cleveland on Saturday, invoked the restaurant while mocking President Donald Trump’s redecorating of the Oval Office. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. There’s gold everywhere,” Obama said, adding, “He’s clearly not focused on lowering prices for you.”
The White House and conservative commentators quickly seized on the remark. The source material reports Republican commentators accused Obama of elitism and being out of touch; the Treasury secretary also weighed in publicly. According to the supplied account, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited a Cheesecake Factory for lunch on Monday and told Fox Business he ordered his usual, the French dip cheeseburger, and joked about Obama’s presidential-library aesthetic, calling it “Darth Vader’s tomb.”
President Trump responded to the comparison when speaking to reporters on Monday, saying the White House is in good condition and criticizing Obama directly. “For you to say it’s The Cheesecake Factory, that just shows why you were a lousy president,” Trump said, according to the same report.
Because The Cheesecake Factory’s fiscal quarter ended on September 29—before Obama’s Saturday remarks—the company’s reported sales gains do not reflect any traffic effects from the ensuing headlines. The article notes that any boost from the publicity that followed would come after the quarter closed and therefore would not be reflected in the reported results.
Beyond the political back-and-forth, the company emphasized operational drivers behind its quarterly performance. Executives highlighted the mix of new menu offerings and loyalty incentives as factors drawing more guests, including younger customers, to its restaurants.
