One Man's Tour Of Cheesecake Factory's 'Postmodern Design Hellscape'

The Cheesecake Factory has never been known for its subtle approach to casual dining. First and foremost, it’s called “The Cheesecake Factory.” Second, their tome-like menu consists of bloated offerings that would serve as several days’ worth of meals were one guided purely by caloric intake recommendations.

However, putting aside their food, The Cheesecake Factory also more quietly exists as one of the more ridiculous takes on restaurant design the world has ever seen. Max Kreiger, a Cleveland-based game developer, walks the world through the senseless, anarchic, and baroque approach to design the chain has managed to leverage to great financial ends.

In the next tweets, Kreiger offers an interesting, if not fully-developed, theory that The Cheesecake Factory aims to disorient its diners. It may not be apparent to customers at the time, but in hindsight, it’s difficult to argue that such a volatile composition of design aesthetics, cuisines, and even menus would be accidental.

Lest you think that Krieger’s observations are a biased hit piece on the easily-targeted chain, he concedes that the food, in spite of the breadth of offerings, is pretty good.

Is he going to end with the inevitable observation that this garish “have it all!” restaurant is a proxy for American capitalism and excess?

Of course he is.

While Krieger’s account will likely to do little to dissuade The Cheesecake Factory’s faithful patrons, it’s entirely likely that he just turned the bizarre restaurant into appointment dining for gawking hipsters and foodies who want to experience this culinary theme park ride firsthand.