International expansion
The Cheesecake Factory has expanded into international markets by licensing agreements for other companies to operate restaurant locations outside of the US. The first restaurant outside the United States was opened at The Dubai Mall in August 2012 via a licensing agreement.On January 25, 2011, the company expanded into the Middle East in a partnership with Kuwaiti retail franchising company M.H. Alshaya Co. The 300-seat restaurant opened on August 16, 2012, at The Dubai Mall. This was The Cheesecake Factory's first location outside the United States.[15]
In May 2014, The Cheesecake Factory announced that it would open the first Cheesecake Factory in East Asia. The first East Asian Cheesecake Factory opened in Disneytown in Pudong, Shanghai, China, on June 16, 2016.[16]
Also, in 2014, the first Cheesecake Factory in Mexico opened its doors in Guadalajara.[15]
As of May 2018, The Cheesecake Factory has eleven restaurants in the Middle East: four in Dubai (Dubai Mall, Mall of Emirates, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Dubai Festival City Mall), three in Kuwait (Arabella, Sidra, and The Avenues—which was the 160th Cheesecake Factory opening),[17] two in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh and Jeddah), and lastly one in the Yas Mall and one in The Galleria in Abu Dhabi.[18] On December 1, 2015, The Cheesecake Factory opened its eighth Middle East branch at the Verdun Shopping Center in Beirut, Lebanon. Many of the Cheesecake Factory management attended the opening, including managers from the US and Dubai. The Cheesecake Factory also made its first appearance in Doha, Qatar, by opening in the Mall of Qatar and further opened two more branches in Villaggio and Doha Festival City.
There are Cheesecake Factories in Parque Delta and Centro Santa Fe, Mexico City.[19]
On April 12, 2017, the company announced it would expand into Canada.[20] In November 2017, the first Canadian location opened at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, Ontario.[21][22]
In May 2017, a Hong Kong restaurant opened in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.[23]
As of the beginning of 2024,[24] the Cheesecake Factory is open for business in 12 countries and territories across the Americas and Asia, Bahrain, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Macau, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
