A former line cook at the Cheesecake Factory revealed that the chain restaurant’s full scratch kitchen is a place where real chefs thrive
Pro Chef, @warmhearthfoods, told all in a viral TikTok about the life of a line cook at The Cheesecake factory that inspired social media users to rethink their ideas about the chain restaurant.
The former Cheesecake Factory lead cook trainer explained that the restaurant’s massive menu includes between 110 and 130 dishes and 140 sauces that are all made fresh each week.
“When I say everything’s fresh, I really do mean that,” he said. “There are no sauces pre-made, nothing is pre-cut, everything is handmade in-house.”
In fact, the only dishes that aren’t prepared on location are the cheesecakes, which are made in Calabasas, California and flash frozen before they’re delivered to Cheesecake Factory locations around the country.
@warmhearthfoods emphasized that kitchen staff at the Cheesecake Factory are well paid and expected to perform at a high level.
The high volume restaurant is staffed with 50 or 60 employees at a time, including 10 prep cooks and 20 line cooks. “If you’re a cook looking to start out your career in a chain restaurant, the Cheesecake Factory is actually one of the top places I would recommend,” he said.
“This is why I reject all Cheesecake Factory slander”
Yes, Chef! The Cheesecake Factory is a chain restaurant with a full scratch kitchen
Pro chef @warmhearthfoods broke down what it’s like to work at the Cheesecake Factory in a video from Dec. 4, 2025 with 2.5 million views.
“I worked for The Cheesecake Factory for about six years as a lead cook trainer,” he said. “My job was to go around to different states and cities to train up new cooks so they could take over when the restaurant actually opened.” He got into the details about the restaurant’s scratch kitchen and what it takes to cook there.
@warmhearthfoods Restaurant secrets: Life of a line cook at The Cheesecake Factory, what is it like to work there? #fyp #cheesecakefactory #kitchenhacks #storytelling ♬ original sound – Warm Hearth Foods
“3 hours to make the marinara sauce”
Diners in the comments loved to hear that the food’s fresh and well-treated employees take pride in their work. Other Cheesecake Factory pros chimed in to echo @warmhearthfoods’ take on working at the restaurant.
“im convinced this was actually an ad bc i want cheesecake factory so badly now.”
“I have never been in a cheesecake factory and I’m 50 years old. After watching this I’m very tempted to go for my 1st time.”
“Salad station cuts the tomatoes to order. Nothing is sandbagged, all the meat comes in fresh, 3 hours to make the marinara sauce, all the eggroll, wonton, etc made per shift. The line is scorching hot, the crew is crazy fast and everyone is proud of what they do.”
“If a customer complains about anything the managers swarm that station and see what it is, in the middle of a Friday night busy shift. Regional chef will stop a station and show the cooks how to make let’s say sliders, or jambalaya. Everything has to be right. Anyone that wants to really learn how to cook, Should work at The Cheesecake Factory.”
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