The Cheesecake Factory Received A $200 Million Investment A Month After It Was Unable To Pay April Rent

Photo credit: Maddie Meyer - Getty Images
Photo credit: Maddie Meyer - Getty Images

From Delish

The Cheesecake Factory announced this week that it has received a $200 million investment from Roark Capital. This comes just a few weeks after the chain informed its landlords it would be unable to pay its rent for April.

In a statement regarding the investment, chairman and CEO of The Cheesecake Factory David Overton discussed how the investment will affect the chain's short-term future in light of the coronavirus outbreak, as well as its long-term financial security. As part of the deal, Paul Ginsberg, president of Roark, will join the Cheesecake Factory's Board of Directors:

We are pleased to have found a high-quality partner in Roark, who we are confident will add significant value to The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. This transaction not only meaningfully enhances our liquidity position to navigate the near-term COVID-19 landscape and get our affected staff members back to work as soon as practicable, but also importantly, solidifies our ability to manage the business for the long-term for all of our stakeholders once we emerge on the other side of this crisis.

The Cheesecake Factory, like many in the food and beverage industry, took a significant financial hit as it moved to a to-go only model amid the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to its inability to pay rent in April, the company has furloughed 41,000 hourly employees.

Roark Capital has a lot of experience investing in the food and beverage industry, as it counts companies like Auntie Anne's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Carvel, Jimmy John's, and Sonic in its current investment portfolio.

You Might Also Like