124-884: The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is an American restaurant company and distributor of cheesecakes based in the United States. It operates 219 full-service restaurants: 206 under the Cheesecake Factory brand and 7 under the Grand Lux Cafe brand, not including the number of restaurants operated under the North Italia nor any of Fox Restaurant Brands' names. The Cheesecake Factory also operates two bakery production facilities—in Calabasas, California , and Rocky Mount, North Carolina —and licenses two bakery-based menus for other foodservice operators under
248-676: A $ 125,000 fine without admitting the findings in the order. The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe operates two bakery production facilities in Calabasas Hills, California, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and licenses two bakery-based menus to other food service operators. This division operates in North America , Europe , Asia and the Middle East . The Cheesecake Factory Bakery has appointed Schengen Desserts B.V . as their master distributor for Europe. David Overton designed
372-548: A 12-piece bucket of fried chicken from KFC and the Cheesecake Factory's "Bistro Shrimp Pasta" dish, which had more calories than any other entrée from a national chain restaurant at 3,120 calories, with 89 grams of saturated fat. The United States Department of Agriculture 's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion states in its dietary guidelines that a typical female adult should consume about 2,000 calories (males 2,500) and no more than 10% of saturated fat per day. In an attempt to offer healthier, lower-calorie meal options,
496-535: A Gallup Poll in 2016, nearly 61% of Americans across the country eat out at a restaurant once a week or more, and this percent is only predicted to increase in future years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic , The National Restaurant Association estimated restaurant sales of $ 899 billion in 2020. The association now projects that the pandemic will decrease that to $ 675 billion, a decline of $ 274 billion over their previous estimate. In Brazil , restaurant varieties mirror
620-651: A common table to guests. However, there were no menus or options to choose from. Early eating establishments recognizable as restaurants in the modern sense emerged in Song dynasty China during the 11th and 12th centuries. In large cities, such as Kaifeng and Hangzhou , food catering establishments catered to merchants who travelled between cities. Probably growing out of tea houses and taverns which catered to travellers, Kaifeng's restaurants blossomed into an industry that catered to locals as well as people from other regions of China . As travelling merchants were not used to
744-422: A common table. Parisians could buy what was essentially take-out food from rôtisseurs , who prepared roasted meat dishes , and pastry-cooks , who could prepare meat pies and often more elaborate dishes. Municipal statutes stated that the official prices per item were to be posted at the entrance; this was the first official mention of menus. Taverns also served food, as did cabarets . A cabaret, however, unlike
868-657: A few. Some restaurants on these cruise ships require table reservations and operate specific dress codes . A restaurant's proprietor is called a restaurateur , this derives from the French verb restaurer , meaning "to restore". Professional cooks are called chefs , with there being various finer distinctions (e.g. sous-chef , chef de partie ). Most restaurants (other than fast food restaurants and cafeterias) will have various waiting staff to serve food, beverages and alcoholic drinks, including busboys who remove used dishes and cutlery. In finer restaurants, this may include
992-481: A formal setting. In the former case, customers usually wear casual clothing. In the latter case, depending on culture and local traditions, customers might wear semi-casual, semi-formal or formal wear . Typically, at mid- to high-priced restaurants, customers sit at tables, their orders are taken by a waiter , who brings the food when it is ready. After eating, the customers then pay the bill. In some restaurants, such as those in workplaces, there are usually no waiters;
1116-511: A host or hostess, a maître d'hôtel to welcome customers and seat them, and a sommelier or wine waiter to help patrons select wines. A new route to becoming a restaurateur, rather than working one's way up through the stages, is to operate a food truck. Once a sufficient following has been obtained, a permanent restaurant site can be opened. This trend has become common in the UK and the US. A chef's table
1240-602: A kitchen in her basement. In 1967, Evelyn's son David M. Overton left Detroit to attend Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, but in 1968, decided to be a drummer, performing with the Billy Roberts Blues Band . In 1971, David convinced his parents to relocate to Los Angeles to open a commercial bakery. In 1972, they moved to the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles where they opened
1364-607: A lack of healthy menu options. For these reasons, the chain was dubbed the "worst family restaurant in America" for 2010 by Men's Health magazine. The average sandwich at the restaurant contains 1,400 calories. In 2013, the Center for Science in the Public Interest gave a better understanding toward some of the food found at the Cheesecake Factory, including the "Crispy Chicken Costoletta" that has more calories (2,610) than
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#17327868318581488-464: A menu of several other "restorative" dishes, including macaroni. Chantoiseau and other chefs took the title "traiteurs-restaurateurs". While not the first establishment where one could order food, or even soups, it is thought to be the first to offer a menu of available choices. In the Western world, the concept of a restaurant as a public venue where waiting staff serve patrons food from a fixed menu
1612-638: A more affluent middle class and to urbanization. The highest concentration of these restaurants were in the West, followed by industrial cities on the Eastern Seaboard. When Prohibition went into effect in 1920, restaurants offering fine dining had a hard time making ends meet because they had depended on profits from selling wine and alcoholic beverages. Replacing them were establishments offering simpler, more casual experiences such as cafeterias, roadside restaurants, and diners. When Prohibition ended in
1736-679: A report by SSI Securities Corporation, the revenue of the restaurant industry in Vietnam reached VND610 trillion in 2022, up 16% from 2021. Of that, the out-of-home market accounted for VND333.69 trillion, up 19% from 2021. As of 2006, there are approximately 215,000 full-service restaurants in the United States, accounting for $ 298 billion in sales, and approximately 250,000 limited-service (fast food) restaurants, accounting for $ 260 billion. Starting in 2016, Americans spent more on restaurants than groceries. In October 2017, The New York Times reported there are 620,000 eating and drinking places in
1860-539: A restaurant is mentioned in a 512 BC record from Ancient Egypt . It served only one dish, a plate of cereal , wildfowl, and onions. A forerunner of the modern restaurant is the thermopolium , an establishment in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome that sold and served ready-to-eat food and beverages . These establishments were somewhat similar in function to modern fast food restaurants. They were most often frequented by people who lacked private kitchens. In
1984-773: A rivalry that would become known as the Great Game . Mahan realized not only the strategic importance of the region, but also of its center, the Persian Gulf . He labeled the area surrounding the Persian Gulf as the Middle East. He said that, beyond Egypt's Suez Canal , the Gulf was the most important passage for Britain to control in order to keep the Russians from advancing towards British India . Mahan first used
2108-428: A selection of pre-plated demonstration dishes which represented food options. Customers had their orders taken by a team of waiters who would then sing their orders to the kitchen and distribute the dishes in the exact order in which they had been ordered. There is a direct correlation between the growth of the restaurant businesses and institutions of theatrical stage drama , gambling and prostitution which served
2232-551: A selection of signature bake-to-order desserts (up to 30 minutes) and a full-service craft bar. RockSugar Southeast Asian Kitchen was a contemporary Asian-fusion restaurant that opened on June 19, 2008, at Century City in Los Angeles. David Overton excluded Chinese and Japanese cuisines from the menu, as these are served at the Grand Lux and Cheesecake Factory restaurants. It closed on December 31, 2020, at least in part to
2356-613: A similar 1 to 5 star (Forbes) or diamond (AAA) scale. Three, four, and five star/diamond ratings are roughly equivalent to the Michelin one, two, and three star ratings while one and two star ratings typically indicate more casual places to eat. In 2005, Michelin released a New York City guide, its first for the United States. The popular Zagat Survey compiles individuals' comments about restaurants but does not pass an "official" critical assessment. Nearly all major American newspapers employ food critics and publish online dining guides for
2480-774: A specialty restaurant known for pasta, pizza, and other Italian foods. North Italia alone currently has locations in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Other concepts from the FRC portfolio include: Flower Child, Culinary Dropout, Blanco, The Henry, Zinburger, The Arrogant Butcher, Doughbird, Fly Bye, The Greene House, Olive & Ivy, and Pushing Daisies. The Cheesecake Factory dining menu includes steaks, chops, burgers, chicken, seafood, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, soups, and salads in various cuisines. In addition to its regular dining menu,
2604-539: A tavern, served food at tables with tablecloths, provided drinks with the meal, and charged by the customers' choice of dish, rather than by the pot. Cabarets were reputed to serve better food than taverns and a few, such as the Petit Maure, became well known. A few cabarets had musicians or singing, but most, until the late 19th century, were simply convivial eating places. The first café opened in Paris in 1672 at
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#17327868318582728-518: A third something tepid, a fourth something chilled. one wants cooked food, another raw, another chooses roast, another grill. The restaurants in Hangzhou also catered to many northern Chinese who had fled south from Kaifeng during the Jurchen invasion of the 1120s , while it is also known that many restaurants were run by families formerly from Kaifeng. In Japan , a restaurant culture emerged in
2852-808: A vital role in the Middle East, and they represent 40.5% of Lebanon, where the Lebanese president , half of the cabinet, and half of the parliament follow one of the various Lebanese Christian rites. There are also important minority religions like the Baháʼí Faith , Yarsanism , Yazidism , Zoroastrianism , Mandaeism , Druze , and Shabakism , and in ancient times the region was home to Mesopotamian religions , Canaanite religions , Manichaeism , Mithraism and various monotheist gnostic sects. The six top languages, in terms of numbers of speakers, are Arabic , Persian , Turkish , Kurdish , Modern Hebrew and Greek . About 20 minority languages are also spoken in
2976-545: Is Aramaic and its dialects are spoken mainly by Assyrians and Mandaeans , with Western Aramaic still spoken in two villages near Damascus, Syria. There is also an Oasis Berber -speaking community in Egypt where the language is also known as Siwa . It is a non-Semitic Afro-Asiatic sister language. Persian is the second most spoken language. While it is primarily spoken in Iran and some border areas in neighbouring countries,
3100-539: Is Middle Eastern and the derived noun is Middle Easterner . While non-Eurocentric terms such as "Southwest Asia" or "Swasia" have been sparsely used, the classificiation of the African country, Egypt, among those counted in the Middle East challenges the usefulness of using such terms. The description Middle has also led to some confusion over changing definitions. Before the First World War , "Near East"
3224-539: Is a relatively recent one, dating from the late 18th century. In June 1786, the Provost of Paris issued a decree giving the new kind of eating establishment official status, authorising restaurateurs to receive clients and to offer them meals until eleven in the evening in winter and midnight in summer. Ambitious cooks from noble households began to open more elaborate eating places. The first luxury restaurant in Paris,
3348-456: Is a table located in the kitchen of a restaurant, reserved for VIPs and special guests. Patrons may be served a themed tasting menu prepared and served by the head chef. Restaurants can require a minimum party and charge a higher flat fee. France has a long tradition with public eateries and modern restaurant culture emerged there. In the early 19th century, traiteurs and restaurateurs became known simply as "restaurateurs". The use of
3472-596: Is considered as the first Parisian restaurant. The first restaurant guide, called Almanach des Gourmands , written by Grimod de La Reyniére, was published in 1804. During the French Restoration period, the most celebrated restaurant was the Rocher de Cancale , frequented by the characters of Balzac . In the middle of the century, Balzac's characters moved to the Café Anglais , which in 1867 also hosted
3596-550: Is considered to have been the "first real restaurant". According to Brillat-Savarin , the restaurant was "the first to combine the four essentials of an elegant room, smart waiters, a choice cellar, and superior cooking". The aftermath of the French Revolution saw the number of restaurants skyrocket. Due to the mass emigration of nobles from the country, many cooks from aristocratic households who were left unemployed went on to found new restaurants. One restaurant
3720-640: Is one of the important economic sectors, making a significant contribution to the national economy. According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam , the number of restaurants in Vietnam has increased rapidly from 2000 to 2022. In 2000, there were about 20,000 restaurants nationwide, but by 2022, this number had increased to over 400,000 restaurants. The average annual growth rate is about 10%. The restaurant industry in Vietnam has also seen strong growth in recent years. According to
3844-646: Is present in areas in neighboring countries. It is a member of the Turkic languages , which have their origins in East Asia. Another Turkic language, Azerbaijani , is spoken by Azerbaijanis in Iran. The fourth-most widely spoken language, Kurdish , is spoken in the countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey, Sorani Kurdish is the second official language in Iraq (instated after the 2005 constitution) after Arabic. Hebrew
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3968-429: Is the official language of Israel , with Arabic given a special status after the 2018 Basic law lowered its status from an official language prior to 2018. Hebrew is spoken and used by over 80% of Israel's population, the other 20% using Arabic. Modern Hebrew only began being spoken in the 20th century after being revived in the late 19th century by Elizer Ben-Yehuda (Elizer Perlman) and European Jewish settlers, with
4092-543: Is usually the food itself e.g. vegetarianism , seafood , or steak . The origin of the cuisine may be also used to categorize restaurants e.g. Italian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, French, Mexican, or Thai. The style of offering has become an important distinguishing factor in the restaurant industry e.g. tapas , sushi , buffet , or yum cha . Beyond this, restaurants may differentiate themselves on factors including speed of service e.g. fast food . Theme restaurants and automated restaurant have become big players in
4216-677: The Maghreb , the western part). Even though the term originated in the West, countries of the Middle East that use languages other than Arabic also use that term in translation. For instance, the Persian equivalent for Middle East is خاورمیانه ( Khāvar-e miyāneh ), the Hebrew is המזרח התיכון ( hamizrach hatikhon ), and the Turkish is Orta Doğu. Traditionally included within the Middle East are Arabia , Asia Minor , East Thrace , Egypt , Iran ,
4340-516: The Arab world . The most populous countries in the region are Egypt, Turkey, and Iran, while Saudi Arabia is the largest Middle Eastern country by area. The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times , and it was long considered the "cradle of civilization". The geopolitical importance of the region has been recognized and competed for during millennia. The Abrahamic religions, Judaism , Christianity , and Islam , have their origins in
4464-842: The Arabian Peninsula ( Magan , Sheba , Ubar ). The Near East was first largely unified under the Neo Assyrian Empire , then the Achaemenid Empire followed later by the Macedonian Empire and after this to some degree by the Iranian empires (namely the Parthian and Sassanid Empires ), the Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire . The region served as the intellectual and economic center of
4588-547: The Baháʼí Faith . Throughout its history the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs; a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive area. The region is one of the regions where agriculture was independently discovered, and from the Middle East it was spread, during the Neolithic, to different regions of the world such as Europe, the Indus Valley and Eastern Africa. Prior to
4712-777: The COVID-19 pandemic . A second location opened in Oakbrook, Illinois, in November 2017, but closed in December 2019. On July 31, 2019, the Cheesecake Factory announced it had reached an agreement to buy Phoenix -based Fox Restaurant Concepts (FRC) for $ 308 million in cash at closing and another $ 45 million due over the next four years. FRC started in 1998 when 21-year-old founder Sam Fox launched his first restaurant concept Wildflower (unrelated to another Arizona restaurant Wildflower Bread Company) and has since launched additional restaurants in differing categories including North Italia,
4836-532: The Central Powers , was defeated by the British Empire and their allies and partitioned into a number of separate nations, initially under British and French Mandates . Other defining events in this transformation included the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the eventual departure of European powers, notably Britain and France by the end of the 1960s. They were supplanted in some part by
4960-571: The Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution in forbidding racial discrimination in restaurants as this was a burden to interstate commerce . In the 1970s, there was one restaurant for every 7,500 persons. In 2016, there were 1,000,000 restaurants; one for every 310 people. The average person eats out five to six times weekly. 3.3% of the nation's workforce is composed of restaurant workers. According to
5084-657: The Far East ). The term "Middle East" has led to some confusion over its changing definitions. Since the late 20th century, it has been criticized as being too Eurocentric . The region includes the vast majority of the territories included in the closely associated definition of West Asia , but without the South Caucasus . It also includes all of Egypt (not just the Sinai ) and all of Turkey (including East Thrace ). Most Middle Eastern countries (13 out of 18) are part of
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5208-693: The International Organization for Migration , there are 13 million first-generation migrants from Arab nations in the world, of which 5.8 reside in other Arab countries. Expatriates from Arab countries contribute to the circulation of financial and human capital in the region and thus significantly promote regional development. In 2009 Arab countries received a total of US$ 35.1 billion in remittance in-flows and remittances sent to Jordan , Egypt and Lebanon from other Arab countries are 40 to 190 per cent higher than trade revenues between these and other Arab countries. In Somalia ,
5332-639: The Levant , Mesopotamia , and the Socotra Archipelago . The region includes 17 UN -recognized countries and one British Overseas Territory . Various concepts are often paralleled to the Middle East, most notably the Near East , Fertile Crescent , and Levant . These are geographical concepts, which refer to large sections of the modern-day Middle East, with the Near East being the closest to
5456-727: The Mall of Qatar and further opened two more branches in Villaggio and Doha Festival City . There are Cheesecake Factories in Parque Delta and Centro Santa Fe , Mexico City. On April 12, 2017, the company announced it would expand into Canada . In November 2017, the first Canadian location opened at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto , Ontario. In May 2017, a Hong Kong store opened in Harbour City , Tsim Sha Tsui . As of
5580-736: The Nile Delta in Egypt, the Tigris and Euphrates watersheds of Mesopotamia , and the basin of the Jordan River that spans most of the Levant. These regions are collectively known as the Fertile Crescent , and comprise the core of what historians had long referred to as the cradle of civilization (multiple regions of the world have since been classified as also having developed independent, original civilizations). Conversely,
5704-518: The Roman Empire , they were popular among residents of insulae . In Pompeii , 158 thermopolia with service counters have been identified throughout the town. They were concentrated along the main axis of the town and the public spaces where they were frequented by the locals. The Romans also had the popina , a wine bar which in addition to a variety of wines offered a limited selection of simple foods such as olives, bread, cheese, stews, sausage, and porridge. The popinae were known as places for
5828-581: The Sassanid Empire . However, it would be the later Islamic Caliphates of the Middle Ages , or Islamic Golden Age which began with the Islamic conquest of the region in the 7th century AD, that would first unify the entire Middle East as a distinct region and create the dominant Islamic Arab ethnic identity that largely (but not exclusively) persists today. The 4 caliphates that dominated
5952-787: The Somali Civil War has greatly increased the size of the Somali diaspora , as many of the best educated Somalis left for Middle Eastern countries as well as Europe and North America . Non-Arab Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey , Israel and Iran are also subject to important migration dynamics. A fair proportion of those migrating from Arab nations are from ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution and are not necessarily ethnic Arabs, Iranians or Turks. Large numbers of Kurds , Jews , Assyrians , Greeks and Armenians as well as many Mandeans have left nations such as Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey for these reasons during
6076-432: The first native Hebrew speaker being born in 1882. Greek is one of the two official languages of Cyprus , and the country's main language. Small communities of Greek speakers exist all around the Middle East; until the 20th century it was also widely spoken in Asia Minor (being the second most spoken language there, after Turkish) and Egypt. During the antiquity, Ancient Greek was the lingua franca for many areas of
6200-409: The plebeians of the lower classes of Roman society to socialize. While some were confined to one standing room only, others had tables and stools and a few even had couches. Another early forerunner of the restaurant was the inn . Throughout the ancient world, inns were set up alongside roads to cater to people travelling between cities, offering lodging and food. Meals were typically served at
6324-458: The 16th century out of local tea houses . Tea house owner Sen no Rikyū created the kaiseki multi-course meal tradition, and his grandsons expanded the tradition to include speciality dishes and cutlery which matched the aesthetic of the food. In Europe, inns which offered food and lodgings and taverns where food was served alongside alcoholic beverages were common into the Middle Ages and Renaissance . They typically served common fare of
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#17327868318586448-447: The 1930s, luxury restaurants slowly started to appear again as the economy recovered from the Great Depression. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed segregation based on race, color, religion, or national origin in all public accommodations engaged in interstate commerce, including restaurants. Katzenbach v. McClung , 379 U.S. 294 (1964), was a decision of the US Supreme Court which held that Congress acted within its power under
6572-432: The Arabic equivalent of Middle East (Arabic: الشرق الأوسط ash-Sharq al-Awsaṭ ) has become standard usage in the mainstream Arabic press. It comprises the same meaning as the term "Middle East" in North American and Western European usage. The designation, Mashriq , also from the Arabic root for East , also denotes a variously defined region around the Levant , the eastern part of the Arabic-speaking world (as opposed to
6696-440: The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe marque. Its cheesecakes and other baked goods can also be found in the cafes of many Barnes & Noble stores. David M. Overton, the company's founder, opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills, California , in 1978. The restaurant established the future chain's pattern of featuring an eclectic menu, large portions, and signature cheesecakes. In 2020, Fortune ranked
6820-423: The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, in which they produced cheesecakes and other desserts for local restaurants. In 1978, Evelyn's son David opened the Cheesecake Factory, a small salad-and-sandwich restaurant in Beverly Hills that sold ten varieties of cheesecakes on a one-page menu. In 1983, he opened a second restaurant in Marina del Rey . By 1987, the Beverly Hills location had expanded into a 78-seat restaurant and
6944-543: The Cheesecake Factory announced that it would open the first Cheesecake Factory in East Asia. The first East Asian Cheesecake Factory opened in Disneytown in Pudong, Shanghai, China, on June 16, 2016. Also, in 2014, the first Cheesecake Factory in Mexico opened its doors in Guadalajara. As of May 2018, the Cheesecake Factory has eleven restaurants in the Middle East: four in Dubai ( Dubai Mall , Mall of Emirates , Jumeirah Beach Residence and Dubai Festival City Mall ), three in Kuwait (Arabella, Sidra, and The Avenues —which
7068-448: The Cheesecake Factory at number 12 on their Fortune List of the Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2020 based on an employee survey of satisfaction. Evelyn Overton opened a business after making a cheesecake for her husband's employer in the 1940s. She opened a small cheesecake bakery in Detroit , Michigan, in the late 1950s but eventually gave it up to raise her two children. She continued to supply cakes to several local restaurants through
7192-426: The Cheesecake Factory created a "Skinnylicious" menu that features a variety of cocktails, salads, appetizers, and specialty dishes such as lemon-garlic shrimp and grilled salmon. On March 18, 2020, Overton informed his landlords that his restaurants would be unable to pay rent for April due to significant financial losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic but would resume paying rent as soon as possible. Following
7316-656: The Cheesecake Factory operated 162 restaurants under the Cheesecake Factory name in 36 states. Plaza Las Américas in San Juan, Puerto Rico , opened its first Cheesecake Factory on August 28, 2013. The company used to operate one self-service , limited-menu express food service operation under the Cheesecake Factory marque inside DisneyQuest at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista , Florida . It opened in 1998 and closed in 2017. The Cheesecake Factory has expanded into international markets by licensing agreements for other companies to operate franchises and corporate ownership. The first store outside
7440-534: The Grand Lux Cafe, an upscale restaurant for The Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas . The restaurant is modeled after Italian, French, and Austrian styles. The Cafe offers, in addition to American and European-style food, Thai , Malaysian , Caribbean cuisine, and others. The Cheesecake Factory operates seven Grand Lux Cafe restaurants located in Florida , Nevada , New Jersey , New York , and Texas . A location in Chicago closed December 24, 2023. Each Grand Lux Cafe features an on-site bakery that produces
7564-455: The La Grande Taverne de Londres, was opened at the Palais-Royal at the beginning of 1786 by Antoine Beauvilliers , the former chef of the Count of Provence. It had mahogany tables, linen tablecloths, chandeliers, well-dressed and trained waiters, a long wine list and an extensive menu of elaborately prepared and presented dishes. Dishes on its menu included partridge with cabbage, veal chops grilled in buttered paper, and duck with turnips. This
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#17327868318587688-410: The Levant, all originated in the Fertile Crescent and Nile Valley regions of the ancient Near East. These were followed by the Hittite , Greek , Hurrian and Urartian civilisations of Asia Minor ; Elam , Persia and Median civilizations in Iran , as well as the civilizations of the Levant (such as Ebla , Mari , Nagar , Ugarit , Canaan , Aramea , Mitanni , Phoenicia and Israel ) and
7812-407: The Levantine coast and most of Turkey have relatively temperate climates typical of the Mediterranean , with dry summers and cool, wet winters. Most of the countries that border the Persian Gulf have vast reserves of petroleum . Monarchs of the Arabian Peninsula in particular have benefitted economically from petroleum exports. Because of the arid climate and dependence on the fossil fuel industry,
7936-408: The Michelin guide are formal, expensive establishments; in general the more stars awarded, the higher the prices. The main competitor to the Michelin guide in Europe is the guidebook series published by Gault Millau . Its ratings are on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. In the United States, the Forbes Travel Guide (previously the Mobil travel guides) and the AAA rate restaurants on
8060-481: The Middle East for more than 600 years were the Rashidun Caliphate , the Umayyad caliphate , the Abbasid caliphate and the Fatimid caliphate . Additionally, the Mongols would come to dominate the region, the Kingdom of Armenia would incorporate parts of the region to their domain, the Seljuks would rule the region and spread Turko-Persian culture, and the Franks would found the Crusader states that would stand for roughly two centuries. Josiah Russell estimates
8184-416: The Middle East in its geographical meaning. Due to it primarily being Arabic speaking, the Maghreb region of North Africa is sometimes included. The countries of the South Caucasus – Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Georgia – are occasionally included in definitions of the Middle East. " Greater Middle East " is a political term coined by the second Bush administration in
8308-421: The Middle East is both a major contributor to climate change and a region that is expected to be severely adversely affected by it. Other concepts of the region exist, including the broader Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which includes states of the Maghreb and the Sudan . The term the " Greater Middle East " also includes parts of East Africa , Mauritania , Afghanistan , Pakistan , and sometimes
8432-504: The Middle East. Arabic, with all its dialects, is the most widely spoken language in the Middle East, with Literary Arabic being official in all North African and in most West Asian countries. Arabic dialects are also spoken in some adjacent areas in neighbouring Middle Eastern non-Arab countries. It is a member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages. Several Modern South Arabian languages such as Mehri and Soqotri are also spoken in Yemen and Oman. Another Semitic language
8556-407: The Middle East. Arabs constitute the main ethnic group in the region, followed by Turks , Persians , Kurds , Azeris , Copts , Jews , Assyrians , Iraqi Turkmen , Yazidis , and Greek Cypriots . The Middle East generally has a hot, arid climate, especially in the Arabian and Egyptian regions. Several major rivers provide irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas here, such as
8680-408: The Middle East. For the period between the 1970s and 1990s, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf in particular provided a rich source of employment for workers from Egypt, Yemen and the countries of the Levant, while Europe had attracted young workers from North African countries due both to proximity and the legacy of colonial ties between France and the majority of North African states." According to
8804-400: The Roman Empire and played an exceptionally important role due to its periphery on the Sassanid Empire . Thus, the Romans stationed up to five or six of their legions in the region for the sole purpose of defending it from Sassanid and Bedouin raids and invasions. From the 4th century CE onwards, the Middle East became the center of the two main powers at the time, the Byzantine Empire and
8928-561: The Saint-Germain fair. By 1723 there were nearly four hundred cafés in Paris, but their menu was limited to simpler dishes or confectionaries, such as coffee, tea, chocolate (the drink; chocolate in solid state was invented only in the 19th century), ice creams, pastries, and liqueurs. At the end of the 16th century, the guild of cook-caterers (later known as "traiteurs") was given its own legal status. The traiteurs dominated sophisticated food service, delivering or preparing meals for
9052-650: The South Caucasus and Central Asia . The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office . However, it became more widely known when United States naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term in 1902 to "designate the area between Arabia and India". During this time the British and Russian empires were vying for influence in Central Asia ,
9176-464: The United States was opened at The Dubai Mall in August 2012 as a franchise via a licensing agreement. On January 25, 2011, the company expanded into the Middle East in a partnership with Kuwaiti retail franchising company M.H. Alshaya Co. The 300-seat restaurant opened on August 16, 2012, at The Dubai Mall. This is the Cheesecake Factory's first location outside the United States. In May 2014,
9300-558: The United States, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics . They also reported that the number of restaurants are growing almost twice as fast as the population. One study of new restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio found that 1 in 4 changed ownership or went out of business after one year, and 6 out of 10 did so after three years. (Not all changes in ownership are indicative of financial failure.) The three-year failure rate for franchises
9424-503: The appearance of new kinds of more modest restaurants, including the bistrot . The brasserie featured beer and was made popular during the 1867 Paris Exposition . In the United States , it was not until the late 18th century that establishments that provided meals without also providing lodging began to appear in major metropolitan areas in the form of coffee and oyster houses. The actual term "restaurant" did not enter into
9548-883: The area from Mesopotamia to Burma , namely, the area between the Near East and the Far East. In the late 1930s, the British established the Middle East Command , which was based in Cairo , for its military forces in the region. After that time, the term "Middle East" gained broader usage in Europe and the United States. Following World War II, for example, the Middle East Institute was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1946. The corresponding adjective
9672-480: The borders of India or command the approaches to India." After the series ended in 1903, The Times removed quotation marks from subsequent uses of the term. Until World War II , it was customary to refer to areas centered around Turkey and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean as the " Near East ", while the " Far East " centered on China , India and Japan . The Middle East was then defined as
9796-565: The burgeoning merchant middle class during the Song dynasty. Restaurants catered to different styles of cuisine, price brackets, and religious requirements. Even within a single restaurant choices were available, and people ordered the entrée from written menus. An account from 1275 writes of Hangzhou, the capital city for the last half of the dynasty: The people of Hangzhou are very difficult to please. Hundreds of orders are given on all sides: this person wants something hot, another something cold,
9920-537: The cities they serve. Some news sources provide customary reviews of restaurants, while others may provide more of a general listings service. More recently Internet sites have started up that publish both food critic reviews and popular reviews by the general public. There are 86,915 commercial food service units in Canada, or 26.4 units per 10,000 Canadians. By segment, there are: Fully 63% of restaurants in Canada are independent brands. Chain restaurants account for
10044-657: The close, the restaurants reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers . Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises , but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services . Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models ranging from inexpensive fast-food restaurants and cafeterias to mid-priced family restaurants , to high-priced luxury establishments. The word derives from
10168-515: The common parlance until the following century. Prior to being referred to as "restaurants" these eating establishments assumed regional names such as "eating house" in New York City, "restorator" in Boston, or "victualling house" in other areas. Restaurants were typically located in populous urban areas during the 19th century and grew both in number and sophistication in the mid-century due to
10292-596: The company offers a lower-calorie menu that includes salads, burgers, sandwiches, and small plates. The brunch menu is offered on Saturdays and Sundays and includes pancakes, waffles, French toast, and eggs. The dessert menu offers 37 cheesecake flavors and cakes, milkshakes, and specialty and ice cream desserts. Per a company spokesperson, the restaurant sells almost 35 million slices of cheesecake annually. The more than 250 menu items are all made from scratch to order. The Cheesecake Factory has been criticized for featuring large servings of high-calorie and high-fat foods and
10416-534: The country and are generally different from the English terms. In German the term Naher Osten (Near East) is still in common use (nowadays the term Mittlerer Osten is more and more common in press texts translated from English sources, albeit having a distinct meaning). In the four Slavic languages, Russian Ближний Восток or Blizhniy Vostok , Bulgarian Близкия Изток , Polish Bliski Wschód or Croatian Bliski istok (terms meaning Near East are
10540-515: The country is one of the region's largest and most populous. It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family of Indo-European languages . Other Western Iranic languages spoken in the region include Achomi , Daylami , Kurdish dialects, Semmani , Lurish , amongst many others. The close third-most widely spoken language, Turkish , is largely confined to Turkey, which is also one of the region's largest and most populous countries, but it
10664-471: The country, especially in the capital city of Lima . Restaurant guides review restaurants, often ranking them or providing information to guide consumers (type of food, handicap accessibility, facilities, etc.). One of the most famous contemporary guides is the Michelin series of guides which accord one to three stars to restaurants they perceive to be of high culinary merit. Restaurants with stars in
10788-619: The customers use trays, on which they place cold items that they select from a refrigerated container and hot items which they request from cooks, and then they pay a cashier before they sit down. Another restaurant approach which uses few waiters is the buffet restaurant. Customers serve food onto their own plates and then pay at the end of the meal. Buffet restaurants typically still have waiters to serve drinks and alcoholic beverages. Fast food establishments are also considered to be restaurants. In addition, food trucks are another popular option for people who want quick food service. Tourists around
10912-456: The early 19th century, taken from the French word restaurer 'provide meat for', literally 'restore to a former state' and, being the present participle of the verb, the term restaurant may have been used in 1507 as a "restorative beverage ", and in correspondence in 1521 to mean 'that which restores the strength, a fortifying food or remedy'. A public eating establishment similar to
11036-597: The economy of the Western world [...] Within this contextual framework, the United States sought to divert the Arab world from Soviet influence. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the region has experienced both periods of relative peace and tolerance and periods of conflict particularly between Sunnis and Shiites . Arabs constitute the largest ethnic group in the Middle East, followed by various Iranian peoples and then by Turkic peoples ( Turkish , Azeris , Syrian Turkmen , and Iraqi Turkmen ). Native ethnic groups of
11160-418: The emerging independent countries of the Islamic world . However, the usage "Near East" was retained by a variety of academic disciplines, including archaeology and ancient history . In their usage, the term describes an area identical to the term Middle East , which is not used by these disciplines (see ancient Near East ). The first official use of the term "Middle East" by the United States government
11284-563: The end of 2021, the Cheesecake Factory is open for business in Canada, USA, UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Mexico, the Chinese Mainland, and the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. On December 4, 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission resolved charges brought against the Cheesecake Factory for misleading investors during the COVID-19 pandemic ; the company paid
11408-507: The establishments which served bouillon , a broth made of meat and egg which was said to restore health and vigour. The first restaurant of this kind was opened in 1765 or 1766 by Mathurin Roze de Chantoiseau on rue des Poulies, now part of the Rue de Louvre. The name of the owner is sometimes given as Boulanger. Unlike earlier eating places, it was elegantly decorated, and besides meat broth offered
11532-512: The facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden , India, and the Persian Gulf. Mahan's article was reprinted in The Times and followed in October by a 20-article series entitled "The Middle Eastern Question", written by Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol . During this series, Sir Ignatius expanded the definition of Middle East to include "those regions of Asia which extend to
11656-493: The famous Three Emperors Dinner hosted by Napoleon III in honor of Tsar Alexander II , Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck during the Exposition Universelle in 1867 Other restaurants that occupy a place in French history and literature include Maxim's and Fouquet's . The restaurant of Hotel Ritz Paris , opened in 1898, was made famous by its chef, Auguste Escoffier . The 19th century also saw
11780-409: The farther west countries while Middle East referred to the eastern ones, but that now they are synonymous. It instructs: Use Middle East unless Near East is used by a source in a story. Mideast is also acceptable, but Middle East is preferred. European languages have adopted terms similar to Near East and Middle East . Since these are based on a relative description, the meanings depend on
11904-786: The first decade of the 21st century to denote various countries, pertaining to the Muslim world , specifically Afghanistan , Iran , Pakistan , and Turkey . Various Central Asian countries are sometimes also included. The Middle East lies at the juncture of Africa and Eurasia and of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (see also: Indo-Mediterranean ). It is the birthplace and spiritual center of religions such as Christianity , Islam , Judaism , Manichaeism , Yezidi , Druze , Yarsan , and Mandeanism , and in Iran, Mithraism , Zoroastrianism , Manicheanism , and
12028-561: The formation of civilizations, advanced cultures formed all over the Middle East during the Stone Age . The search for agricultural lands by agriculturalists, and pastoral lands by herdsmen meant different migrations took place within the region and shaped its ethnic and demographic makeup. The Middle East is widely and most famously known as the cradle of civilization . The world's earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia ( Sumer , Akkad , Assyria and Babylonia ), ancient Egypt and Kish in
12152-526: The highest in the world, and the international oil cartel OPEC is dominated by Middle Eastern countries. During the Cold War, the Middle East was a theater of ideological struggle between the two superpowers and their allies: NATO and the United States on one side, and the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact on the other, as they competed to influence regional allies. Besides the political reasons there
12276-522: The last century. In Iran, many religious minorities such as Christians , Baháʼís , Jews and Zoroastrians have left since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 . The Middle East is very diverse when it comes to religions , many of which originated there. Islam is the largest religion in the Middle East, but other faiths that originated there, such as Judaism and Christianity , are also well represented. Christian communities have played
12400-466: The local cuisine of other cities, these establishments were set up to serve dishes familiar to merchants from other parts of China. Such establishments were located in the entertainment districts of major cities, alongside hotels, bars, and brothels. The larger and more opulent of these establishments offered a dining experience similar to modern restaurant culture. According to a Chinese manuscript from 1126, patrons of one such establishment were greeted with
12524-423: The means for cooking, the inhabitants of European cities were significantly reliant on them. France in particular has a rich history with the development of various forms of inns and eateries, eventually to form many of the now-ubiquitous elements of the modern restaurant. As far back as the thirteenth century, French inns served a variety of food — bread, cheese, bacon, roasts, soups, and stews - usually eaten at
12648-644: The multitude of nationalities that arrived in the country: Japanese, Arab, German, Italian, Portuguese and many more. The word piquete can be used to refer to a common Colombian type of meal that includes meat, yuca and potatoes, which is a type of meal served at a piqueteadero. The verb form of the word piquete, piquetear, means to participate in binging, liquor drinking, and leisure activities in popular areas or open spaces. In Peru , many indigenous, Spanish, and Chinese dishes are frequently found. Because of recent immigration from places such as China , and Japan , there are many Chinese and Japanese restaurants around
12772-404: The only appropriate ones for the region. However, some European languages do have "Middle East" equivalents, such as French Moyen-Orient , Swedish Mellanöstern , Spanish Oriente Medio or Medio Oriente , Greek is Μέση Ανατολή ( Mesi Anatoli ), and Italian Medio Oriente . Perhaps because of the political influence of the United States and Europe, and the prominence of Western press,
12896-580: The population of what he calls "Islamic territory" as roughly 12.5 million in 1000 – Anatolia 8 million, Syria 2 million, and Egypt 1.5 million. From the 16th century onward, the Middle East came to be dominated, once again, by two main powers: the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid dynasty . The modern Middle East began after World War I , when the Ottoman Empire, which was allied with
13020-439: The region as including only Egypt , Syria, Israel , Lebanon , Jordan , Iraq, Saudi Arabia , Kuwait , Bahrain , and Qatar . Since the late 20th century, scholars and journalists from the region, such as journalist Louay Khraish and historian Hassan Hanafi have criticized the use of "Middle East" as a Eurocentric and colonialist term. The Associated Press Stylebook of 2004 says that Near East formerly referred to
13144-662: The region include, in addition to Arabs, Arameans , Assyrians , Baloch , Berbers , Copts , Druze , Greek Cypriots , Jews , Kurds , Lurs , Mandaeans , Persians , Samaritans , Shabaks , Tats , and Zazas . European ethnic groups that form a diaspora in the region include Albanians , Bosniaks , Circassians (including Kabardians ), Crimean Tatars , Greeks , Franco-Levantines , Italo-Levantines , and Iraqi Turkmens . Among other migrant populations are Chinese , Filipinos , Indians , Indonesians , Pakistanis , Pashtuns , Romani , and Afro-Arabs . "Migration has always provided an important vent for labor market pressures in
13268-557: The remaining 37%, and many of these are locally owned and operated franchises. The EU-27 has an estimated 1.6m businesses involved in 'accommodation & food services', more than 75% of which are small and medium enterprises . The Indian restaurant industry is highly fragmented with more than 1.5 million outlets of which only around 3000 of them are from the organised segment. The organised segment includes quick service restaurants; casual dining; cafes; fine dining; and pubs, bars, clubs, and lounges. The restaurant industry in Vietnam
13392-451: The restaurant industry and may include fine dining , casual dining, contemporary casual, family style, fast casual, coffeehouse , concession stands, food trucks, pop-up restaurants, and ghost restaurants . Restaurants range from inexpensive and informal lunching or dining places catering to people working nearby, with modest food served in simple settings at low prices, to expensive establishments serving refined food and fine wines in
13516-534: The rising influence of the United States from the 1970s onwards. In the 20th century, the region's significant stocks of crude oil gave it new strategic and economic importance. Mass production of oil began around 1945, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates having large quantities of oil. Estimated oil reserves , especially in Saudi Arabia and Iran, are some of
13640-508: The term "restaurant" for the establishment itself only became common in the 19th century. According to the legend, the first mention to a restaurant dates back to 1765 in Paris. It was located on Rue des Poulies, now Rue du Louvre, and use to serve dishes known as "restaurants". The place was run by a man named Mr. Boulanger. However, according to the Larousse Gastronomique , La Grande Taverne de Londres which opened in 1782
13764-705: The term in his article "The Persian Gulf and International Relations", published in September 1902 in the National Review , a British journal. The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta , as well as its Gibraltar ; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British Navy should have
13888-597: The type normally available to peasants. In Spain , such establishments were called bodegas and served tapas . In England, they typically served foods such as sausage and shepherd's pie . Cookshops were also common in European cities during the Middle Ages. These were establishments which served dishes such as pies, puddings, sauces, fish, and baked meats. Customers could either buy a ready-made meal or bring their own meat to be cooked. As only large private homes had
14012-412: The wealthy at their residences. Taverns and cabarets were limited to serving little more than roast or grilled meats. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, both inns and then traiteurs began to offer "host's tables" ( tables d'hôte ), where one paid a set price to sit at a large table with other guests and eat a fixed menu meal. The earliest modern-format "restaurants" to use that word in Paris were
14136-585: The western Middle East and until the Muslim expansion it was widely spoken there as well. Until the late 11th century, it was also the main spoken language in Asia Minor ; after that it was gradually replaced by the Turkish language as the Anatolian Turks expanded and the local Greeks were assimilated, especially in the interior. English is one of the official languages of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. It
14260-441: The world can enjoy dining services on railway dining cars and cruise ship dining rooms, which are essentially travelling restaurants. Many railway dining services also cater to the needs of travellers by providing railway refreshment rooms at railway stations. Many cruise ships provide a variety of dining experiences including a main restaurant, satellite restaurants, room service, speciality restaurants, cafes, bars and buffets to name
14384-411: Was also the "ideological conflict" between the two systems. Moreover, as Louise Fawcett argues, among many important areas of contention, or perhaps more accurately of anxiety, were, first, the desires of the superpowers to gain strategic advantage in the region, second, the fact that the region contained some two-thirds of the world's oil reserves in a context where oil was becoming increasingly vital to
14508-653: Was applied to an establishment where restorative foods, such as bouillon , a meat broth, were served ( "établissement de restaurateur" ). The closure of culinary guilds and societal changes resulting from the Industrial Revolution contributed significantly to the increased prevalence of restaurants in Europe. In the 1980s and 1990s the restaurant industry was revolutionized by entrepreneurs, including Terence Conran , Christopher Bodker , Alan Yau , and Oliver Peyton . Today restaurants are classified or distinguished in many different ways. The primary factor
14632-540: Was experiencing great financial success. This led to the opening of a third, larger location in Redondo Beach , which was eventually renovated into a 300-seat, 21,000-square-foot (2,000 m) location. By the end of the 1980s, the Cheesecake Factory's one-page menu had expanded, and the restaurant offered additional fast-food and short-order items. The 1990s saw the opening of the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant outside of Southern California . The new restaurant
14756-740: Was in the 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine , which pertained to the Suez Crisis . Secretary of State John Foster Dulles defined the Middle East as "the area lying between and including Libya on the west and Pakistan on the east, Syria and Iraq on the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus the Sudan and Ethiopia ." In 1958, the State Department explained that the terms "Near East" and "Middle East" were interchangeable, and defined
14880-428: Was located in Washington, D.C. The Cheesecake Factory was incorporated in 1992 and went public in September 1993. David Overton planned to open 3–4 units a year to generate a 25% yearly increase in sales. The company began changing its menu twice a year and adding steaks, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. The company continued to open new restaurants and by 1995 was ranked 11th in the United States. As of April 2013,
15004-473: Was nearly the same. Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula , the Levant , Turkey , Egypt , Iran , and Iraq . The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western European nations in the early 20th century as a replacement of the term Near East (both were in contrast to
15128-683: Was started in 1791 by Méot, the former chef of the Duke of Orleans, which offered a wine list with twenty-two choices of red wine and twenty-seven of white wine. By the end of the century there were a collection of luxury restaurants at the Grand-Palais: Huré, the Couvert espagnol; Février; the Grotte flamande; Véry, Masse and the Café de Chartres (still open, now Le Grand Véfour ). In 1802 the term
15252-834: Was the 160th Cheesecake Factory opening), two in Saudi Arabia ( Riyadh and Jeddah ), and lastly one in the Yas Mall and one in The Galleria in Abu Dhabi. On December 1, 2015, the Cheesecake Factory opened its eighth Middle East branch at the Verdun Shopping Center in Beirut , Lebanon . Many of the Cheesecake Factory management attended the opening, including managers from the US and Dubai. The Cheesecake Factory also made its first appearance in Doha, Qatar , by opening in
15376-563: Was used in English to refer to the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire , while "Middle East" referred to the Caucasus , Persia , and Arabian lands, and sometimes Afghanistan , India and others. In contrast, " Far East " referred to the countries of East Asia (e.g. China , Japan , and Korea ). With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, "Near East" largely fell out of common use in English, while "Middle East" came to be applied to
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