America Has Voted, The ‘What’s Your Flavor?’ Cheesecake Contest Winner Is Announced

After nearly 10,000 cheesecake contest submissions, 20,000 votes and weeks of intense anticipation, The Cheesecake Factory’s "What’s Your Flavor?” winning cheesecake flavor is revealed at www.thecheesecakefactory.com/love.

The Cheesecake Factory Founder David Overton is proud to announce that "Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake” takes the cake as the voters’ favorite flavor. Redondo Beach, Calif. resident Stefanie Gaxiola’s delicious cheesecake combines layers of moist red velvet cake sandwiched between layers of creamy cheesecake, frosted with a light vanilla bean mousse and garnished with white chocolate curls.

"Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake” marries America’s favorite cheesecake with the charm of red velvet cake for a novel twist on a classic Southern dessert. When asked about her red velvet confection, Stefanie said, "I am really passionate about my cheesecake flavor. Red velvet cake is trendy, delicious, classic, rich and just makes you smile. I wouldn't have felt right submitting any other entry.” Stefanie’s winning cheesecake flavor will be the first menu addition named after a guest in The Cheesecake Factory’s 30-year history.

"We are thrilled to welcome ‘Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake’ to our menu, and have every reason to believe it will be our next great cheesecake,” states Overton. "We appreciate the thousands of creative submissions as well as the public’s involvement in helping us choose our newest flavor. Stefanie’s version of red velvet cheesecake is an inspired combination and we can think of no better time to introduce it than on July 30^th as we celebrate National Cheesecake Day.”

With the introduction of this new cheesecake flavor, The Cheesecake Factory is strengthening its partnership with Feeding America – the nation’s food bank network – by donating $0.25 from the sale of every slice of "Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake” to this national hunger-relief organization that helps to feed more than 25 million hungry Americans each year.

About The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) created the upscale casual dining segment in 1978 with the introduction of its namesake concept and continues to define it today. The company operates 146 restaurants throughout the U.S. under The Cheesecake Factory(R) name with an extensive menu of more than 200 items. Grand Lux Cafe(R), the company's second concept, has 13 units in operation across the U.S. offering a broad menu of more than 150 items. The company also operates one unit of its newest concept, RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen(TM), and two bakery production facilities in Calabasas Hills, CA and Rocky Mount, NC that produce over 70 varieties of quality cheesecakes and other baked products. Additionally, the company licenses two bakery cafe outlets to another foodservice operator under The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe(R) mark. For more information, please visit www.TheCheesecakeFactory.com.

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks operate 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org.