How The Cheesecake Factory went from a family recipe to a global chain — and a White House punchline

What happened: The Cheesecake Factory drew political attention after former President Barack Obama joked at a Cleveland rally that the White House looked like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." The chain's former VP of design pushed back on CNN, and the White House X account called the chain "a great American institution." Key numbers: First restaurant opened in Beverly Hills in 1978. Why it matters: Trump responded to Obama's comparison, telling reporters it "just shows why you were a lousy president," turning the chain into a subject of political discourse.

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