Take a peek inside Cheesecake Factory at Liberty Center

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

The Cheesecake Factory, which is preparing to open next week at the approximately $350 million Liberty Center development, does everything big. Not just the cheesecake.

The California-restaurant chain will open its 182nd location in Butler County at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at 716 Blake St. It will be an approximately 10,000-square-foot dining spot with room to seat about 300 customers, said company spokeswoman Alethea Rowe.

Between the size of the restaurant and number of employees, it's one of if not the biggest eatery at Liberty Center. For example, Brio Tuscan Grille hired about 115 workers to open an over 6,000-square-foot restaurant. However, Brio's outdoor seating options expand its square-footage to 8,500 feet, meaning it can seat upwards of 500 diners, Brio General Manager Doug Thrush said.

Cheesecake employees have been training for weeks to prepare for opening day, Rowe said. Saturday and Sunday certain customers were invited for a trial run to test the service. All 250 menu items will be vetted by the kitchen and wait staff, she said.

Despite 250 lunch and dinner menu items and over 30 varieties of cheesecake at any given time, Rowe said recipes are still made from scratch.

About 50 trainers from across the country and the nearby Kenwood location are on-hand at Liberty Center to help new staff members get ready, Rowe said.

“That commitment to training and investment in training is one of the ways we keep our balancing act,” she said.

The new Butler County restaurant received about 2,000 job applications, but resumes were narrowed down to 280 or so who were hired, she added.

“The fact that we had 2,000 applications really reflects the fact that we’re known to be a great place to work that focuses on hospitality and taking care of our guests and each other and focus on quality,” she said. “We really truly do hire based on personality.”

Regular Cheesecake Factory hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays; and 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, contact the restaurant at 513-755-2761.

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