A Cheesecake Factory Preview

cheesecakefactory.jpgYesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a waitstaff training exercise at the new Cheesecake Factory restaurant located in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square shopping area. The restaurant will officially open for dinner on Thursday, November 1 at 5:00pm.

I’ve eaten at Cheesecake Factories in the Boston, DC, and Denver areas before (the last time being about a year and a half ago) and the West Hartford establishment carries along the traditional decor and menu options. For the training exercise, we were only able to try certain appetizer and meal selections, which was fine because lunch was free and it was a learning experience for the staff. The food was the same quality that I’d experienced at other locations. The waitstaff is still learning and has a few more days of training to tweak things before they officially open on Thursday.

If you’ve never been to a Cheesecake Factory, here are my suggestions…

1. You should go, at least once, just to experience it. The menu is quite extensive and you will be able to find something you’ll enjoy. You may even be overwhelmed by the number of selections available.

2. The amount of food they give you is tremendous, but it’s also not cheap. Appetizers are priced from $8 and up. Dinners start around $10 a plate, most average around $15-$20. Desserts start at $7 (most of the cheesecake is $7 a slice).

3. The food is good, but if you’re not careful you will end up with a big belly ache when you leave. My husband and I typically split an appetizer, main dinner, and piece of cheesecake and that seems to work. It also helps the wallet.

4. The cheesecake really is fantastic and they have a seemingly endless number of options. If you like fruity cheesecake, they have it. If you like chocolate cheesecake, they have it. If you like candy cheesecake, they have it. So, just have a piece of cheesecake!