There's nothing in the formation and growth of The Cheesecake Factory empire that guaranteed you would lose weight by eating the foosd served there. When Evelyn & Oscar Overton moved to California and began selling Evelyn's famous cheesecakes (everyone in Detroit loved them) in Los Angeles in 1972, they sold them out of a modest bakery. Of course everyone in Los Angeles loved them just as much as they did in Detroit. Maybe they loved them even more.

In 1978, The Cheesecake Factory opened a restaurant in Beverly Hills, introducing close to 200 menu items that would be served delicious, just like the cheesecake. The food was to be tasty and the plates would be filled with larger servings than other restaurants. The recipes were developed just like the cheesecake. They had to be made for consistent quality and broad appeal. The concept of delicious food and great menu options resonated with the public, and perhaps a few wastelines began to expand, just like the restaurant, itself.

By 2010 there are around 163 restaurants under three names -The Cheesecake Factory, Grand Lux Cafe, and RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen. The company's corporate headquarters span over three acres of commercial land in Calabasas where there's also a bakery that makes cheesecakes. Another facility in Rocky Mountain, NC, also produces over 70 kinds of cheesecake. The restaurant is known for its an unusual, glossy, spiral bound menu that takes some time to read, and includes advertising.

Whether your waste is big or small, the food at The Cheesecake Factory is fantastic, the price is mid-range, and the decor casually elegant. Thanks to a sweet little mom (Evelyn) from Detroit who began baking cheesecakes in her basement and selling them to happy customers, you can now blissfully find comfort in an appetizer of Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes topped with Sour Cream, Salsa Verde and Avocado, taste a Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pizza, or knock yourself out with a Charbroiled Flatiron Steak served with Certified Angus Beef. Be sure to save room from the Cheesecake.

Original Cheesecake is served on every menu, but there's also Strawberry, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Ultimate Red Velvet, Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate, Fresh Banana Cream, White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut, and absolutely no calories in your dessert -just kidding!

Locations and menus can be found at thecheesecakefactory.com