Cheesecake Factory Pulls out of Downtown Disney

[bfbulldog]

FYI.

http://losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2008/03/31/daily5.html?ana=yfcpc

"The Cheesecake Factory is closing its restaurant at DisneyQuest in Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World.

The Calabasas Hills-based company says its Cheesecake Factory Express will close in May when its 10-year lease at DisneyQuest expires. The restaurant will lay off its 55 employees, who can apply for positions at other Cheesecake Factory locations.

The restaurant will be replace with FoodQuest, a counter-service eatery owned and operated by Disney.

The Cheesecake Factory Express opened in 1998. Intended to be a prototype restaurant for the company. The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) planned to build numerous DisneyQuests, and Cheesecake Factory agreed to operate its express restaurant concept inside each of the multi-story, high-tech arcades.

Although Disney opened a DisneyQuest in Chicago, it closed in 2001. The Orlando location of the Cheesecake Factory Express was a one-of-a-kind facility for the restaurant chain.

The Cheesecake Factory Inc. was founded in 1978 and operates 139 restaurants in the U.S. under the Cheesecake Factory name. The company generated $1.5 billion in revenues in 2007."

 

[Fun2BFree]

Things are just falling apart over at DtD. Will FoodQuest retain the free internet stations?

 

[RiversideBunny]

The Cheesecake Factory is a very successful chain.
The one here is always busy and there is a long wait to get in.

They probably don't need Disney, particularly if Disney gets a large slice of the profits.

 

[Gooch]

I had no idea that there was even a CF at DTD. Go figure.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

 

[sweetpee_1993]

The one and only time I went to this Cheesecake Factory location was the evening of my one and only trip into DisneyQuest. Much like the rest of the building at the time it was filthy dirty. I wasn't about to order food from there much less eat it in those surroundings. It was just yucky all the way around. The Cheesecake Factory at the Galleria in Houston is always quite busy even in weekdays. I'm sure the company as a whole won't suffer too much.

 

[maryszhi]

at least they arent closing ALL the cheescake factories. i can go to the one at oakbrooke which is a few minutes from my house
they have really good food
its a shame though for those who dont have one by their house

 

[WDWFigment]

Am I the only one who thinks this is great news? I couldn't care less about the motivations by either party for ending the agreement, nor do I care about who ended it. I care about the end result--more Disney-run dining in DISNEY world! No matter what the future of DtD, I'd much rather see it run like a uniquely Disney experience rather than a mall in the middle of WDW...

 

[Disneyfalcon]

The one and only time I went to this Cheesecake Factory location was the evening of my one and only trip into DisneyQuest. Much like the rest of the building at the time it was filthy dirty. I wasn't about to order food from there much less eat it in those surroundings. It was just yucky all the way around. The Cheesecake Factory at the Galleria in Houston is always quite busy even in weekdays. I'm sure the company as a whole won't suffer too much.

Hmm that's interesting. We've had completely different experiences. We've eaten there several times and it was clean and delicious!! We always made a point to visit DisneyQuest during a meal so we could eat there!!

So anyway, I'm very sad...

 

[DizneyPryncess]

There's a cheesecake factory in DTD???

I've been there a million times and I had no idea! My family goes there twice a year, and we would have loved to eat there. We've never been into Disney Quest, I guess that's why we didn't know about it.

I think if the restaurant was not in Disney Quest, but rather in a location like Rainforest, it would have done phenomenal! The one where I live is 5 years running, and you still can't get a dinner table under 2 hours on weekends!

 

[jakeman]

Am I the only one who thinks this is great news? I couldn't care less about the motivations by either party for ending the agreement, nor do I care about who ended it. I care about the end result--more Disney-run dining in DISNEY world! No matter what the future of DtD, I'd much rather see it run like a uniquely Disney experience rather than a mall in the middle of WDW...

I agree with you 100%. I prefer a Disney experience when I go to Disney World and prefer that things I have access to at home stay at home.

I know this is just an opinion, as someone who does not have a Cheesecake Factory may be disheartened by this news.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Hmm that's interesting. We've had completely different experiences. We've eaten there several times and it was clean and delicious!! We always made a point to visit DisneyQuest during a meal so we could eat there!!

So anyway, I'm very sad...

I know! I was totally shocked when we went. I think that's by far the yuckiest I've ever seen anything at WDW. Maybe it was an off day or something. I dunno. Maybe it was because it was during an off time. But the restaurant was really dirty, the whole building was dirty, and I'd say at least 1/4 of the electronic arcade games didn't work. I'm glad it's not always like that at DQ. Maybe during our next family trip we'll give it another shot.

I also agree with WDWFigment, it'll be nice to see Disney doing more of it's own dining rather than contracting out. Let's see what Disney does with the spot. Maybe they'll bring over some of the tie-dye cheesecakes from Everything POP!

 

[figmentmom]

I had no idea that there was even a CF at DTD. Go figure.

Me, either. I can't say as I'm sorry to hear the news, though. I'd much prefer to have more Disney-themed food choices in DTD, anyway.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

No matter what the future of DtD, I'd much rather see it run like a uniquely Disney experience rather than a mall in the middle of WDW...

Great point! I definitely agree.

To anyone who hasn't been to a Cheesecake Factory before, don't be disheartened. The menu, food quality, prices, or experience of the Express location in DQ is nothing like eating at a "real" Cheesecake Factory. You're not missing out :animwink:.

 

[sknydave]

Yeah, it wasn't a real cheesecake factory

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I just hope that pizza they make is still there...That is the Best Pizza I've had while I was out there.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

That's actually my favorite food at Downtown Disney, followed closely by Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

That's actually my favorite food at Downtown Disney, followed closely by Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express.

Mine too! It definitely had a different menu then a real Cheesecake factory but it still had awesome desserts and some yummy wraps!

 

[bgraham34]

I had no idea that there was even a CF at DTD. Go figure.

Me either, it was news to me.

 

[grunter]

So, where exactly was it located? Inside DisneyQuest?

Had I known it was there the last time I visited DTD, I certainly would have chosen to eat there over Captain Jack's Seafood.