The Cheesecake Factory Named to PEOPLE’s ‘Companies That Care’ List for Sixth Consecutive Year
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE) has once again been recognized for its commitment to employees, families and communities, earning a place on the 2026 PEOPLE Companies That Care® list. The annual recognition is presented by PEOPLE magazine and Great Place to Work® and highlights organizations that demonstrate a strong culture of care, employee support and community engagement.
The Cheesecake Factory ranked No. 30 on the 2026 list, marking the sixth consecutive year that the company has received the distinction. The recognition is based largely on confidential feedback from employees, with the survey evaluating workplace culture and how effectively organizations demonstrate care for their employees, their families and the communities in which they operate.
Being included among the PEOPLE Companies That Care organizations reflects The Cheesecake Factory’s continued focus on building a workplace culture centered on people and giving back. Companies considered for the list must meet rigorous benchmarks designed to identify employers that combine strong employee experiences with meaningful community involvement.
For The Cheesecake Factory, the latest recognition represents another milestone in a long-standing effort to develop a distinctive company culture. The restaurant company has emphasized values such as doing the right thing, supporting its employees and contributing to the communities surrounding its restaurants since opening its first location in Beverly Hills in 1978.
“The Cheesecake Factory is honored to be named to the PEOPLE Companies That Care list for the sixth consecutive year,” said David Overton, Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. He noted that the company has worked since its founding to establish a special culture focused on doing the right thing and giving back to the communities it serves.
The company’s community efforts extend beyond financial contributions and include programs designed to address food insecurity, reduce food waste and provide employees with opportunities to support charitable organizations.
One of The Cheesecake Factory’s key initiatives is its Nourish Program, which focuses on donating excess food from its restaurants to nonprofit organizations in local communities. Through the program, food that might otherwise go to waste is redirected to organizations that can distribute it to people and families in need.
Since the program began in 2007, The Cheesecake Factory has donated more than 10 million pounds of food to local nonprofit organizations. In 2025 alone, the company donated more than 1 million pounds of food through the Nourish Program.
The initiative provides benefits beyond hunger relief. By donating surplus food instead of sending it to landfills, the program also helps reduce the environmental impact associated with food waste. Keeping usable food in circulation can help lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the volume of materials sent to landfills.
Food insecurity remains an important challenge across the United States, making partnerships between restaurants, nonprofits and hunger-relief organizations particularly significant. The Cheesecake Factory’s long-running food donation efforts form part of the company’s broader approach to supporting the communities where its restaurants operate.
The company has also established a long-term relationship with Feeding America®, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. Since 2008, The Cheesecake Factory has donated more than $7 million to Feeding America through the sale of specially designated cheesecakes.
The fundraising initiative allows customers to participate in the company’s charitable efforts while enjoying one of its signature products. Funds raised support Feeding America’s nationwide network of food banks and its work to address hunger in communities throughout the United States.
Employee participation is another important component of The Cheesecake Factory’s community engagement strategy. Through its Give Back program, sponsored by The Cheesecake Factory Oscar and Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation, employees have opportunities to volunteer their time for charitable causes that are personally meaningful to them.
The program supports both fundraising activities and community service projects, giving employees an opportunity to contribute beyond their regular responsibilities. Each year, staff members collectively provide thousands of volunteer hours to hundreds of charitable organizations across the country.
This combination of workplace culture, charitable giving, food recovery and employee volunteerism has helped establish community involvement as an important part of The Cheesecake Factory’s corporate identity.
The PEOPLE Companies That Care recognition adds to a series of workplace honors received by the company. In 2026, The Cheesecake Factory was also named to Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For®” list for the 13th consecutive year.
The continued recognition from major workplace organizations underscores the company’s efforts to maintain an employee-focused culture while operating a large restaurant business across the United States. For The Cheesecake Factory, workplace engagement and community responsibility are closely connected, with employees encouraged to participate in programs that benefit both their colleagues and the communities they serve.
The company’s latest PEOPLE Companies That Care ranking also demonstrates the sustained nature of its approach. Rather than representing a one-time achievement, the sixth consecutive appearance on the list reflects years of investment in workplace culture and social responsibility.
From food donations and hunger-relief fundraising to employee volunteering, The Cheesecake Factory has developed a range of initiatives intended to create a positive impact beyond its restaurants. These programs complement the company’s broader commitment to its employees and communities while reinforcing its long-established philosophy of giving back.
As The Cheesecake Factory continues its operations into the future, the company says its focus remains on maintaining a culture where employees feel supported and empowered to make a difference. Its recognition among the 2026 PEOPLE Companies That Care organizations provides another acknowledgment of those efforts and highlights the role that employee experience and community engagement play in the company’s approach to doing business.
The sixth consecutive recognition places The Cheesecake Factory among companies that have demonstrated sustained attention to both workplace culture and social impact. With continued investments in charitable giving, food recovery and employee-led community service, the company is positioning its people and community initiatives as enduring elements of its corporate culture.
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