I Get it Now ... It's the WAIT !!!

When Tracey Carter asked one of the hosts at West Hartford's new Cheesecake Factory restaurant how long the waits were on a Friday night, she couldn't believe her ears. Two hours. Three hours. Sometimes longer.

"I was shocked. Three hours? I never dreamed someone would wait three hours," said Carter, a Hartford resident who recently dined at the crammed-to-the-rafters restaurant. "I could drive to New York and get a fish sandwich in that time."

True, but anyone who'd decline to cool their heels would miss out on one of Greater Hartford's most popular new activities: the waiting game at Cheesecake Factory.

http://www.courant.com/features/lifestyle/hc-longwait.art0dec28,0,773049.story

There's a Cheescake Factory here, and every time I've passed by there's been a very long line out the door. I've never had any desire to try the place. I figure any place that thinks of cheesecake in terms of a factory isn't for me. And if the rest of their food is edible, why call it the Cheesecake Factory?

Some of my favorite quotes:

"For those who know what to expect, the wait is part of the overall experience of dining at the upscale casual dining restaurant. The average wait at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant is 1 1/2 hours, said Alethea Rowe, director of restaurant marketing for the Cheesecake Factory Inc. "


The lines, however, are a positive sign to restaurant management. "I think this is the biggest compliment our guests can give us," Rowe said

"I don't think there's any restaurant worth waiting three hours. Even two hours. That's excessive," he said. "There's only so much ambience you can soak in."

"We do have incredibly long waits so this is a way to help our guests plan ahead,"

and my favorite:

"The wait is part of the experience," Carter said. "It's part of the aura of going out that you have to wait."


Ummm..the plan it to undersize your restaurant to require guests to spend $$$ in the bar prir to dining. Applebees, Olive garden and the likes have doing it for a decade or more.

While good restaurants are packed at peak times, places like Olive Garden put you on a wait list even during the week. Sad and yet another statement as to the lemmings of restuarant diners there are out there.

jjjrfoodie

I've always felt that the reservation system is the civilized method of running a restaurant.It went awry somewhere though.I suspect the major culprit is no-show,no-call-to-cancel reservers,but I suppose some fault goes to the bean counters who get apoplexy at the sight of a briefly unoccupied table..If drinking in the bar prior to eating is "part of your dining experience",then go a couple hours prior to your reserved time and get well liquored up.I think the reservation system is broken if you cant get seated within 5-10 minutes of your appointed reservation.Especially since the widespread outlawing of smoking,the establishments should not have many diners lingering for long periods after they finish eating.

I stood in too many lines when I worked for Uncle Sam in the early 60's and swore never again after my discharge. Not too long ago the kids took us out to dinner for our 25th anniversary. After waiting to get into the dining room for two hours it took another two hours for us to order, get served, eat, and get the check.

I find prolonged waits offensive.

I can't believe people tolerate them under any circumstances.

The worst, most offensive, is Joe's in Miami Beach.

I was going to write that I just don't "get" the appeal of Cheesecake Factory. I went to their web site, and now I think I get it. There is something for just about everyone there. No focus at all, that I see. If one is in a group, I guess everyone can find something tolerable.

Pizza, steaks, pasta, burgers, shrimp, meatloaf, salmon, sandwiches, burritos, omelettes, smoothies, salads, vietnamese summer rolls, macaroni and cheese, buffalo wings, crab cakes....

Seems nuts to me, but I guess it is a success.

I've been to CF. Twice here in So Cal.* I don't see what's drawing people who are willing to wait hours for a table. To say the food was lackluster would be a compliment. It wasn't bad, but on the other hand, it wasn't memorable. In fact, two meals eaten and I can't recall what I had.

What a difference compared to a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place called Mario's just two towns over from one of these CF. Back in 2001 they served me some eggplant parm that to this day I use as the standard for that dish. Now that's memorable.

I think it's the massive portions that lure these time wasters in to their interminable waits for a table. I used to get massive portions of Marine chow hall food, but that didn't make it good.



*short wait both times

West Hartford, Connecticut, the location sited in the clipping is, for those who don't know the area, quite upscale ... You'd think the yuppies would have something better to do with themselves.

Dis you notice the article described the CF as "upscale"? If that's upscale eating, then I'm rich and famous.

I guess the CF is upscale when compared to Ruby Tuesday, TGIF or Applebees.

The one in Baltimore always has a line. I live in the city, so knowing how many great restaurants we have in this town, I would never put up with the wait. My brother, however, lives in the suburbs. To him the CF is a fun little adventure when he comes downtown to go the harbor.

Not a fan of seafood is he? Because if I found myself in that part of Balto, I'd be hitting one of the fine seafood joints.

We were going to a movie at a local mall with a Cheesecake Factory. We didn't want to wait but I realized why people waited. The alternative was Ruby Tuesdays.

I can tolerate maybe 30 minutes and one beer at the bar.

I used to go to the one in Redondo Beach regularly when I was on business trips out to SoCal. The long wait wasn't really much of an issue, since my coworkers and I didn't have much better to do (without getting in trouble ) Moreover, the view at the marina was spectacular and relaxing; especially at sunset.

I have visited the one here in Richmond twice with my family and once for a business lunch. If you get in before 11:30 there is not a wait, otherwise forget it for lunch. The food sounds so much better than it tastes. They don't even have proper iced tea, but some kind of pomegranate concoction.

The cheesecake isn't bad, but you can just order that and leave. Next time we go, that is what we will do; but I am not hurrying on down in the next 6 months.

I would not wait in line 15 minutes to see the queen of England. Nor do I wait in line any place else. They may be wonderful but I do not wait.

I have eaten at the Cheesecake Factory many times but I have not had to wait.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I don't understand the allure of the Cheesecake Factory. Someone explain, please?

But don't they do the same thing at Outback? The one here in town has been open, what, ten or fifteen years now? And you can't reasonably expect to not be in the giant pile of people waiting for a table unless you go at some really weird hour. I thought it was a deliberate marketing thing.

quote:

Originally posted by Earl of Sandwich

I don't understand the allure of the Cheesecake Factory. Someone explain, please?

In my opinion, their food is very good. Their menu is way too large but I have always enjoyed what they served.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

They have notch-above-Applebee's food, and about a gajillion kinds of cheesecake, the pieces are about big enough to literally choke a hippo if you crammed one down their throat, and they're what, $7.95 a slice? I went once, in Pasadena. It was fine. I definitely wouldn't stand in a line for it.

quote:

Originally posted by MiamiDon

I was going to write that I just don't "get" the appeal of Cheesecake Factory. I went to their web site, and now I think I get it. There is something for just about everyone there. No focus at all, that I see. If one is in a group, I guess everyone can find something tolerable.

Pizza, steaks, pasta, burgers, shrimp, meatloaf, salmon, sandwiches, burritos, omelettes, smoothies, salads, vietnamese summer rolls, macaroni and cheese, buffalo wings, crab cakes....

Seems nuts to me, but I guess it is a success.

^^^ sounds good in theory but if you are watching sodium you need to know that it's all premade, including the eggs for the omelettes. If you need something w/o a lot of sodium, you get the privilege of spending $8+ for a salad. I'm not paying that much for lettuce.

I have been shopping at a local mall with a Cheesecake Factory, and my shopping companion always suggests we stop in and ask about the wait. We never stay because the wait is too long.

However, the last time we were there, we noticed quite a few empty tables. When we went to the hostess stand, we were told it would be a 15 minute wait. I knew that, although there were empty tables, they were making us wait "just for the wait". We, of course, immediately walked out.

We did eat at the bar once, with no wait, and I wasn't very impressed. They didn't make me feel real comfortable eating at the bar, as well.

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520


However, the last time we were there, we noticed quite a few empty tables. When we went to the hostess stand, we were told it would be a 15 minute wait. I knew that, although there were empty tables, they were making us wait "just for the wait". We, of course, immediately walked out.

I don't doubt Cheesecake Factory would do something like that (making someone wait "just for the wait"), but I have been at a number of restaurants where that has happened. Usually, it is because they don't have enough wait staff on shift to cover all the tables.

I know that I am always very annoyed if a restaurant seats me then we have to wait forever to get served; we would have been better off told what the real wait would be so we could choose other options.

quote:

Originally posted by Earl of Sandwich

I don't understand the allure of the Cheesecake Factory. Someone explain, please?

The Allure: Massive servings of mediocre to above-average pre-fabbed food from a ridiculously large menu served in a stunning architectural setting. Looking at the picture accompanying the linked article, the demand seems centered on young people with a need to be seen in this faux-elite setting (and probably with not the most discerning dining standards).

I've been there twice, without having to wait either time. It has been over 5 years since my last visit and I have never had the urge to go back. The CF is simply not on the culinary radar screen of anyone in my family.

One thing that turned me off was that huge menu. I had trouble making a selection from the many categories and choices. I also found that for the price of a meal at the CF, I could have an excellent meal in any of a number of locally owned/operated restaurants.

Jim

p.s. The cheesecake is not that good. My wife make better (no surprise there) and I've had better commercially prepared products.

quote:

Originally posted by NascarDad

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520


However, the last time we were there, we noticed quite a few empty tables. When we went to the hostess stand, we were told it would be a 15 minute wait. I knew that, although there were empty tables, they were making us wait "just for the wait". We, of course, immediately walked out.

I don't doubt Cheesecake Factory would do something like that (making someone wait "just for the wait"), but I have been at a number of restaurants where that has happened. Usually, it is because they don't have enough wait staff on shift to cover all the tables.

I know that I am always very annoyed if a restaurant seats me then we have to wait forever to get served; we would have been better off told what the real wait would be so we could choose other options.

There is no excuse for a mega chain to not have enough servers. period. What is it some sort of surprise that the place is busy at dinnertime?

quote:

Originally posted by JRPfeff

quote:

Originally posted by Earl of Sandwich

I don't understand the allure of the Cheesecake Factory. Someone explain, please?

The Allure: Massive servings of mediocre to above-average pre-fabbed food from a ridiculously large menu served in a stunning architectural setting. Looking at the picture accompanying the linked article, the demand seems centered on young people with a need to be seen in this faux-elite setting (and probably with not the most discerning dining standards).

I think that this sums it up very well. And, if one is of a certain "herd" mentality, the presence of a waiting line likely translates into something along the lines of--"It must be really good if that many people are waiting in line for it". For me, it translates into--"Let's go somewhere else".

As to the massive serving sizes, take a look at the width of the butts of the people waiting in line at Cheesecake Factory. There is a correlation in all too many cases, as people seem to confuse quantity and quality.

quote:

Originally posted by wheregreggeats.com

quote:

Originally posted by NascarDad

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520


However, the last time we were there, we noticed quite a few empty tables. When we went to the hostess stand, we were told it would be a 15 minute wait. I knew that, although there were empty tables, they were making us wait "just for the wait". We, of course, immediately walked out.

I don't doubt Cheesecake Factory would do something like that (making someone wait "just for the wait"), but I have been at a number of restaurants where that has happened. Usually, it is because they don't have enough wait staff on shift to cover all the tables.

I know that I am always very annoyed if a restaurant seats me then we have to wait forever to get served; we would have been better off told what the real wait would be so we could choose other options.

There is no excuse for a mega chain to not have enough servers. period. What is it some sort of surprise that the place is busy at dinnertime?

Unfortunately my experience with so many of the chains around here has been similar - they almost never have enough servers on - usually because they called in "sick".

My friend used to be an assistant manager at a casual dining chain. She explained that basically assistant manager means you get to work the shifts when people don't show up. She quit because even though they could show like clockwork that people calling in sick (or just plain no shows) would happen regularly, corporate policy prevented her from "over" staffing the shifts so that they would have enough coverage.

As far as CCF, I don't know if they are a corporate owned chain or franchised.. either way they aren't any great shakes here in Richmond.

How the corporations think they are making money when all it does is tick people off is beyond me.

Just another reason I avoid most chains like the plague, with a few notable exceptions at the high end of the price scale. I would rather have a local joint, where the owner is there almost ever day, and he sees what is happening and has a vested interest in satisfying customers.

Wow, I can relate to just about every post on here! Very nicely worded, everyone...

I found the CCF food to be either real good,(beef ribs, southwestern corncakes) or lackluster (mini burger/sliders)......... it really varies depending on what you order..
overall, it is overrated (more "hype" than actual flavor)

What I found upscale about the place is the architecture (lots of wood), and the well-trained staff...
so it DOES have a nice atmosphere, but it is NOT worth a 2 hour wait... (IMO)

I've been to a few of them in CA, and the one in Menlo Park, NJ... (no wait when I was there, cause the initial fanfare had died down) Now there is a new one in Freehold, NJ at the mall.

Sometimes, I've been known to take out a piece of choc. chip cookie dough cheesecake. I'll then put it in my fridge, and take about 3 days eating it! (gotta spread the calories out, right, guys!?)

I enjoyed reading some of the comments (there were 95 of them) from that Hartford, CT article.
I like what someone said that "If they were TRULY elite, they would NOT have to wait"..
ain't that the truth.

I also like what the poster "droll" said about how much they would rather support the independant restaurants.
Personally, even if I WAS excited about trying a new place, (and I DO love trying new places) I would wait a few weeks or months till the waits' die down.

I like what the Roadfood poster said along the lines of "well, compared to Ruby Tuesday's , this place looks great"

This has nothing to do with CCF but I can honestly say that at the Black Cow Tap & Grill in Hamilton, MA we often had a 3-4 hour wait, which I found absurd! These people are willing to wait hours to eat my food? Me and my sous chefs would look at each other and just shake our heads. I wouldn't wait longer than 30 mins. and that would have to be a DESTINATION restaurant.

quote:

Originally posted by JRPfeff

quote:

Originally posted by Earl of Sandwich

I don't understand the allure of the Cheesecake Factory. Someone explain, please?

The Allure: Massive servings of mediocre to above-average pre-fabbed food from a ridiculously large menu served in a stunning architectural setting. Looking at the picture accompanying the linked article, the demand seems centered on young people with a need to be seen in this faux-elite setting (and probably with not the most discerning dining standards).

I've been there twice, without having to wait either time. It has been over 5 years since my last visit and I have never had the urge to go back. The CF is simply not on the culinary radar screen of anyone in my family.

One thing that turned me off was that huge menu. I had trouble making a selection from the many categories and choices. I also found that for the price of a meal at the CF, I could have an excellent meal in any of a number of locally owned/operated restaurants.

Jim

p.s. The cheesecake is not that good. My wife make better (no surprise there) and I've had better commercially prepared products.

Absolutely spot-on observation. Been there once about 5 years ago when they opened the one in North Scottsdale. Had a real difficult time understanding what the fuss was about.

Maybe it was happenstance, but it seemed to be disproportinately full of women.....which may work well for the single guy. (Heads up, Dale!)

Wait? for food? if you really want to try the place,go at an off time.
I agree with the herd and also the lemming mentality and it applies here big time.
This is in Connecticut, the same people probably waited in line when Krispy Kreme opened.
If theres a line anywhere,I'm down the road to another joint, a local place, not a chain.
While you're still waiting,I'll be eating,better food too.