The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory provides a high-level disclosure of its key purchased animal proteins. In its 2023 annual report, the company describes its menu offerings which include seafood, steaks, chicken, burgers, omelettes, as well as approximately 45 varieties of cheesecake. Its principal commodity categories include the animal proteins dairy, seafood, poultry, and meat. In its 2022 CSR report, the company provides sustainable sourcing updates for seafood, dairy cows, pigs, beef cattle, laying hens and broiler chickens.

In its 2022 CSR report, the company provides an update on its goals to source antibiotic free beef, eggs, broiler chickens, dairy, and pork in 2025. The company defines antibiotic-free as no antibiotics ever (NAE) however, it states that it ‘will not support a supplier withholding appropriate veterinary care from a sick or injured animal’ and that any treated animals must be removed from its supply chain. These targets for NAE go beyond the WHO recommendations on the use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals. The company demonstrates its intention to reduce antibiotic use by providing annual updates on its progress. The company does not have a policy for antibiotic use in its seafood supply.

The company’s 2025 targets for its beef, eggs, broiler chickens, dairy, and pork are stipulated in its 2022 CSR report. The report appears to cover The Cheesecake Factory, North Italia, and Social Monk Asian Kitchen which make up around 78% of its global restaurants. It is unclear if its Grand Lux Cafe restaurant chain or non-US based restaurants are included. The policy, therefore, covers the majority of its restaurants, however, it does not currently include its Fox Restaurant Concepts.

The Cheesecake Factory reports on either the percentage of suppliers, supply or of volume raised with NAE. It does not report on the quantity of antibiotics currently used in its supply chain for any of its key purchased animal proteins.

In its 2022 CSR report, The Cheesecake Factory states that it has a buying preference for suppliers that are third party certified. It does not, however, provide evidence that the data on antibiotic use in its supply chain is audited by a third party.

The Cheesecake Factory states that animal welfare and sustainability standards are written into its supplier contracts and that it works to identify suppliers at risk of non-compliance. It does not disclose details of a non-compliance procedure for its antibiotics use, however, its current reduction targets are set for 2025.

The Cheesecake Factory has stipulated time-bound targets for antibiotic use in its supply of beef, eggs, broiler chicken, dairy, and pork. In 2025 each of these key animal proteins should be sourced from animals who have never been treated with antibiotics (NAE). These targets go beyond the WHO’s guidelines on the use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals. The company does not disclose a target for antibiotic use in its seafood supply.

The company’s 2025 targets for its beef, eggs, broiler chickens, dairy, and pork are stipulated in its 2022 CSR report. The report appears to cover The Cheesecake Factory, North Italia, and Social Monk Asian Kitchen. It is unclear if its Grand Lux Cafe restaurant chain or non-US based restaurants are included. The report covers the majority of its restaurants, however, it does not include its Fox Restaurant Concepts. The company has stated that it will consider including its Fox Restaurants Concepts in future reports.

As part of its Sustainable Sourcing update, The Cheesecake Factory annually reports on the percentage of suppliers or of its volume raised with NAE. In addition to this, it provides data on the percentage of suppliers that are practicing responsible use of antibiotics with veterinary oversight. This term, however, is not defined. Beef Cattle: 94% of its suppliers for cattle are practicing responsible use of antibiotics with veterinary oversight and 20% of its volume of beef cattle is raised with no antibiotics ever (NAE). Broiler: 97% of its suppliers for broiler chickens are practicing responsible use of antibiotics with veterinary oversight. 28% of its suppliers source no antibiotics ever (NAE). Dairy Cows: 94% of its dairy volume comes from suppliers who practice responsible use of antibiotics with veterinary oversight and 2% of its supply is NAE. Pigs: 90% of its pork suppliers are practicing responsible use of antibiotics with veterinary oversight. <1% of its pork suppliers currently practice NAE. Egg Layers: >99% of its egg suppliers are practicing responsible use of antibiotics with veterinary oversight. Approximately 23% of its supply has never been administered antibiotics. Seafood: The company does not have antibiotics reduction targets for its seafood supply. The company continues to work with its dairy suppliers to further reduce antibiotic usage in alignment with its animal welfare goals, but recognizes that its collective purchasing volume is not large enough to sway the broader dairy and pig industry with regards to NAE production. To address this, it is actively partnering with its producers and suppliers to build from their current responsible use programs towards NAE production in alignment with its goals. The company saw slow but continued progress with regards to NAE beef production strategies and continued to see responsible use. Although the percentage NAE decreased compared to prior year, the company was encouraged to that see several egg and broiler suppliers have begun to phase in NAE programs and are looking for further improvements in the coming year.

The Cheesecake Factory is inactive and did not respond to the collaborative engagements formal letter sent in July.