November 12, 2008 01:41 PM Eastern Time 

The Cheesecake Factory Raises $275,000 for City of Hope

DUARTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building on its longstanding support for City of Hope, The Cheesecake Factory Oscar & Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation hosted its annual Invitational Charity Golf Tournament, raising $275,000 in net proceeds to benefit City of Hope. Now in its sixth year, the golf tournament continues to support groundbreaking cancer research, treatment and education programs at City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Since the inception of the event, The Cheesecake Factory Oscar & Evelyn Overton Charitable Foundation has raised $1.275 million for City of Hope’s innovative cancer research and treatment programs.

“Through the support of The Cheesecake Factory, City of Hope is able to accomplish our goal of transforming promising scientific concepts into new therapies for patients with cancer,” said Scott Loyola, associate vice president of Development, City of Hope. “We are grateful for The Cheesecake Factory’s continued commitment to our mission.”

“City of Hope is doing ground-breaking work in cancer research and treatment, and we are proud to support it,” said David Overton, Chairman and CEO of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. “Our foundation hosted another successful golf tournament this year owing to the participation of our generous vendors, participants, staff members and volunteers, and we greatly appreciate their contributions.”

More than 250 individuals participated in this year's tournament, which was held at the North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, California.

About The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ: CAKE) created the upscale casual dining segment in 1978 with the introduction of its namesake concept and continues to define it today with the two highest productivity concepts in the industry. The Company operates 144 restaurants throughout the U.S. under The Cheesecake Factory(R) name with an extensive menu of more than 200 items and fiscal 2007 average annual unit sales of approximately $10.4 million. Grand Lux Cafe(R), the Company's second concept, has 13 units in operation across the U.S. offering a broad menu of more than 150 items and average annual unit sales of approximately $12.7 million in fiscal 2007. The Company also operates one unit of its newest concept, RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen(TM), and two bakery production facilities in Calabasas Hills, CA and Rocky Mount, NC that produce over 60 varieties of quality cheesecakes and other baked products. Additionally, the Company licenses two bakery cafe outlets to another foodservice operator under The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe(R) mark. For more information, please visit thecheesecakefactory.com.

About City of Hope

City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope's research and treatment protocols advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, and is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer and urology by U.S.News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org.