UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 19, 2022

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INCORPORATED

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	0-20574	51-0340466
(State or other jurisdiction	(Commission	(IRS Employer
of incorporation)	File Number)	Identification No.)

26901 Malibu Hills Road Calabasas Hills, California		91301
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (818) 871-3000

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class:		Trading Symbol(s)		Name of each exchange on which registered:
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share		CAKE		The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

ITEM 5.02

DEPARTURE OF DIRECTORS OR CERTAIN OFFICERS; ELECTION OF DIRECTORS; APPOINTMENT OF CERTAIN OFFICERS; COMPENSATORY ARRANGEMENTS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS

On December 19, 2022, Paul D. Ginsberg, a member of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (the “Company”) Board of Directors (the “Board”) since 2020, notified the Board of his intention to resign from the Board, effective immediately. Mr. Ginsberg’s departure is not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices.

On December 22, 2022, the Board’s Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee recommended, and the Board subsequently approved, the appointment of Adam S. Gordon to fill the vacancy on the Board created by Mr. Ginsberg’s resignation, effective immediately.

As a non-employee director, for his service on the Board, Mr. Gordon will receive a $100,000 annual cash retainer and an annual cash payment in lieu of equity of $115,000, each pro-rated for the remainder of 2022. Mr. Gordon is eligible to participate in the Company’s Executive Savings Plan (the “Plan”), a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, by contributing all or a portion of his director fees and equity awards in the form of stock units to the Plan, subject to the terms of the Plan. Mr. Gordon also entered into the Company’s standard form of indemnification agreement for directors, the form of which was filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 14, 2007.

ITEM 7.01

REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE

On December 23, 2022, the Company issued a press release announcing changes to its Board of Directors. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 9.01

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(d)

Exhibits

	99.1	Press release dated December 23, 2022 entitled “The Cheesecake Factory Announces Changes to Board of Directors”

	104.1	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: December 23, 2022	THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INCORPORATED


	By:	/s/ Matthew E. Clark
		Matthew E. Clark
		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Etienne Marcus
	(818) 871-3000
	[email protected]

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif., – December 23, 2022 – The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE) today announced changes to the Company’s Board of Directors with the appointment of Adam S. Gordon as an independent director in place of Paul D. Ginsberg.

Mr. Gordon currently serves as a managing director of Gordon Property Group, a real estate management and development company. In this role, he is in charge of marketing and strategic relationships for commercial buildings and other properties. Mr. Gordon also serves as President of ASG Global Entertainment, a production and marketing company he founded. Prior to establishing ASG Global Entertainment, Mr. Gordon held various roles of increasing responsibility with Sony Pictures International, most recently as Executive Director of Publicity leading publicity and awards campaigns.

“With his background in global marketing and promotions and his deep experience in the entertainment industry, Adam brings a unique perspective and experience to the Board,” said David Overton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Overton continued, “We offer our sincere thanks to Paul for his dedicated service as a Board member, both during Roark Capital Group’s preferred stock investment in the Company and following the repurchase and conversion of the preferred stock previously held by Roark in June 2021.”

About The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a leader in experiential dining. We are culinary forward and relentlessly focused on hospitality. Delicious, memorable experiences created by passionate people – this defines who we are and where we are going. We currently own and operate 319 restaurants throughout the United States and Canada under brands including The Cheesecake Factory^®, North Italia^® and a collection within our Fox Restaurant Concepts business. Internationally, 30 The Cheesecake Factory^® restaurants operate under licensing agreements. Our bakery division operates two facilities that produce quality cheesecakes and other baked products for our restaurants, international licensees and third-party bakery customers. In 2022, we were named to the FORTUNE Magazine “100 Best Companies to Work For^®” list for the ninth consecutive year. To learn more, visit www.thecheesecakefactory.com, www.northitalia.com and www.foxrc.com.

From Fortune ©2022 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For are registered trademarks of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated.

26901 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 • Telephone (818) 871-3000 • Fax (818) 871-3100

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as codified in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include, without limitation, statements regarding Mr. Gordon’s contributions as a Board member. Such forward-looking statements include all other statements that are not historical facts, as well as statements that are preceded by, followed by or that include words or phrases such as “believe,” “plan,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “intend,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “project,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “should” and similar expressions. These statements are based on current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. These forward-looking statements may be affected by various factors including: the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures, including the potential for a complete shutdown of the Company’s restaurants, international licensee restaurants and the Company’s bakery operations; supply chain disruptions and inflation; the geopolitical environment; demonstrations, political unrest, potential damage to or closure of the Company’s restaurants and potential reputational damage to the Company or any of its brands; economic, public health and political conditions that impact consumer confidence and spending, including the impact of COVID-19 and other health epidemics or pandemics on the global economy; acceptance and success of The Cheesecake Factory in international markets; acceptance and success of North Italia and the Fox Restaurant Concepts restaurants, Social Monk Asian Kitchen and other concepts; the risks of doing business abroad through Company-owned restaurants and/or licensees; foreign exchange rates, tariffs and cross border taxation; changes in unemployment rates; changes in laws impacting the Company’s business, including laws and regulations related to COVID-19 impacting restaurant operations and customer access to off- and on-premise dining; increases in minimum wages and benefit costs; the economic health of the Company’s landlords and other tenants in retail centers in which its restaurants are located, and the Company’s ability to successfully manage its lease arrangements with landlords; unanticipated costs that may arise in connection with a return to normal course of business; the economic health of suppliers, licensees, vendors and other third parties providing goods or services to the Company; the timing of new unit development; compliance with debt covenants; strategic capital allocation decisions including with respect to share repurchases or dividends; the ability to achieve projected financial results; the resolution of uncertain tax positions with the Internal Revenue Service and the impact of tax reform legislation; adverse weather conditions in regions in which the Company’s restaurants are located; factors that are under the control of government agencies, landlords and other third parties; the risks, costs and uncertainties associated with opening new restaurants; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required to do so by law. Investors are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements and the discussion of risk factors contained in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K as filed with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov.

26901 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301 • Telephone (818) 871-3000 • Fax (818) 871-3100