The Cheesecake Factory finds itself in the middle of a presidential tussle, and it’s doing just fine.
After former President Barack Obama compared President Donald Trump’s White House decor to The Cheesecake Factory, the restaurant announced during an earnings call Tuesday that sales soared 15.3 percent from July to September. Those months were before the two leaders started their public feud that sucked in the restaurant.
Obama’s comments were met with outrage from MAGA, who called them ‘elitist.’ Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responded by ordering a French dip cheeseburger at a Cheesecake Factory in Washington, D.C. Monday. Obama defended his comments at a Wednesday campaign rally in Georgia, saying the restaurant was his “jam” while he raised his daughters.
Though The Cheesecake Factory was swept up in controversy without asking, it’s a valuable win for the company, Marin Richardson, CEO of publicity firm Disrupt PR, told The Independent in an email.
“Both sides are fighting over who loves it more,” Richardson said. “Most brands would pay a fortune for that.”
The restaurant has remained quiet on social media about the war of words between presidents, and that’s the smart choice, Richardson said.
“I tell clients this all the time: when you get pulled into a fight you didn't start, the best move is usually to stay quiet and let the internet argue for you,” she said. “That's exactly what they're doing.”
The restaurant benefits from the nonpartisan support, too - it’s not a Democrat or Republican issue, as both speak well of The Cheesecake Factory, Mike Kresch, vice president of strategy at digital marketing firm Moburst, said in an email to The Independent.
“The risk in situations like this is that a brand gets handed a red or blue label it never asked for,” he said. “This did not happen here!”
Other brands have benefitted from national controversy or debate, Kresch said.
Clothing store American Eagle saw its stock surge in 2025 amid a dust-up over an ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, he noted. Food manufacturer Goya saw its brand recognition soar after CEO Bob Unanue praised Trump in a July 2020 meeting with the president.
Will all the attention lead to better sales for The Cheesecake Factory? Slightly, Kresch said.
“The 15.2 percent comp in Q3 was booked before the feud started, so nobody should credit the joke for that number,” he said. “Q4 is the real test, and we might see a small bump from ‘curiosity traffic’ that fades as the story grows more distant.”
Some of that has to do with distractions - between the Iran war and midterm elections, consumers’ attention is elsewhere, Natalie Gibson, co-founder of public relations firm Songue PR, told The Independent in an email.
“Consumers have a notoriously short memory … and there is so much going on right now to steal their attention,” Gibson said. “If anything, the brief mention this week will get those who haven't been in a while to want to try it again, or encourage loyalists to stop in.”
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