In 1949, Evelyn Overton decides to open a business after making cheesecake for her husband's company.

From January 1, 1951, to October 31, 2011, Cheesecake Factory starts up and operates.

In 1971, The Cheesecake Factory relocated to North Hollywood, California, marking a significant step in the growth of the business. The move allowed them to expand beyond their basement operation.

The Cheesecake Factory was established in 1972, starting from very humble beginnings and eventually growing to become a great American success story.

Oscar and Evelyn Overton leave Detroit to start a bakery business in Southern California.

In 1977, Linda Candioty began working for The Cheesecake Factory under Evelyn Overton in the bakery. She later became the restaurant's first hostess and eventually rose to the position of vice president of guest experience.

David Overton, a musician in San Francisco, moved to Los Angeles in the late '70s to help his parents with the bakery business. To prove diner demand for his mom's desserts, he opened his own restaurant in 1978, despite having no restaurant experience. The restaurant was named The Cheesecake Factory after his parent's bakery.

In 1983, The Cheesecake Factory expanded and opened its second restaurant, marking a significant milestone in the company's growth.

The Cheesecake Factory opens its second restaurant in Marina del Rey.

In 1988, David Overton opened The Cheesecake Factory's Redondo Beach restaurant, which marked the beginning of the famous murals at the chain's locations.

On August 3, 1989, the Cheesecake Factory introduced its first official menu.

In the 1990s, the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant outside of Southern California opened, marking the beginning of the company's expansion beyond its original location.

A new 16,400 sqft. bakery production facility opens in Calabasas Hills to supply cheesecakes to The Cheesecake Factory restaurants, other dining establishments, and club stores.

In September 1992, The Cheesecake Factory went public with an initial stock price of $20, which rose to $27.25 on the first day of trading. David Overton became the CEO and chair of the board at that time.

In September 1993, The Cheesecake Factory became a publicly traded company, allowing individuals to invest in its growth and success.

The company goes public on NASDAQ by offering CAKE stocks to the public.

On December 19, 1998, the Cheesecake Factory reached a significant milestone by opening its 100th location.

The first Grand Lux Cafe is launched in Las Vegas at The Venetian.

Cheesecake first appeared in Greece at least 2000 years ago and was originally made with cottage cheese.

The Cheesecake Factory Oscar and Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation is founded to support charitable causes.

The 100th restaurant of The Cheesecake Factory is opened in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

In 2010, Men's Health magazine named The Cheesecake Factory as the 'worst family restaurant in America' due to its large servings of high-calorie and high-fat foods, as well as a lack of healthy menu options.

In a 2011 interview with CNN, David Overton mentioned that his parents were able to semiretire due to the success of the restaurants in the early years. He also highlighted the positive performance of the company's stock.

In August 2012, The Cheesecake Factory expanded into international markets by opening its first store outside the United States at The Dubai Mall, marking a significant milestone in the company's global presence.

In 2013, The Cheesecake Factory expanded its international presence by opening a restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 2014, The Cheesecake Factory expanded outside the United States by opening a branch in the Dubai Mall, initiating a series of international expansions.

On December 1, 2015, the Cheesecake Factory expanded its presence by opening its eighth Middle East branch at the Verdun Shopping Center in Beirut, Lebanon. The opening was attended by many Cheesecake Factory managers from the US and Dubai.

On June 16, 2016, The Cheesecake Factory made its debut in East Asia with the opening of a restaurant in Disneytown in Pudong, Shanghai, China, further expanding its reach to new regions.

In April 2017, the Cheesecake Factory announced its plans to expand into Canada. Later in November 2017, the first Canadian location opened at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

In June 2018, The Cheesecake Factory was found jointly liable in a wage-theft case in California, where labor authorities fined the chain and its janitorial subcontractor nearly $4.6 million for unpaid wages of janitorial workers at eight Southern California restaurants.

The Cheesecake Factory announced the acquisition of Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts for $308 million in cash at closing and an additional $45 million over the next four years. This acquisition expanded The Cheesecake Factory's portfolio of restaurant concepts.

On March 18, 2020, The Cheesecake Factory informed landlords that they would be unable to pay rent for April due to significant financial losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurants later reopened after the pandemic.

On December 4, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission fined the Cheesecake Factory $125,000 for misleading investors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company paid the fine without admitting the findings in the order.

In June 2021, The Cheesecake Factory reacquired most of the equity stake purchased by Roark Capital in a transaction valued at $457.3 million.

On November 10, 2022, The Cheesecake Factory participated in voluntary mediation and reached a tentative settlement on the wage citation related to the wage-theft case in California.

Smart United Asia Limited is granted the authorization to use The Cheesecake Factory and 芝樂坊餐廳 trademarks and tradenames owned by TCF Co. LLC until 2024.