The Cheesecake Factory is closing locations: See a list of shuttered locations for 2026
The Cheesecake Factory closed a number of restaurants at the start of this year. The decision comes even as the chain pushes forward with its most aggressive growth year yet.
The company currently operates 218 Cheesecake Factory-branded restaurants in the U.S. California has the largest number of locations, with 38, followed by Florida, with 24, and Texas, with 20.
On January 24, the company did a sweeping overhaul and closed two long-standing locations at once: a 29-year-old waterfront spot in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and a 34-year-old location in Friendship Heights, Washington, D.C.
Additionally, the parent company shuttered two other Houston restaurants around the same time: a Grand Lux Cafe, part of a casual-dining chain created by the founders of The Cheesecake Factory, and Blanco Cocina + Cantina, the only Texas location for this Fox Restaurant Concepts brand, which closed after seven years in the Galleria area.
The Baltimore closure came as part of a broader wave of restaurant departures from the Inner Harbor tied to the area’s planned Harborplace redevelopment. Pizzeria Uno and Hooters left the same waterfront strip the year before.
“We are working with our staff to help transition them to other opportunities,” the company said in a statement, noting the closure affected 115 employees. “We have truly enjoyed being a part of the Inner Harbor community over the last 29 years.”
The company is in the middle of an aggressive expansion, with plans to open up 26 new restaurants in 2026 across its full portfolio, which includes The Cheesecake Factory, North Italia, Flower Child, and the Fox Restaurant Concepts brands. This is a continuation of a growth streak that’s continued every year since 2023.
“With a strong pipeline in place we remain confident in our ability to achieve our development goal,” the company said in a press release.
The company also shared that its long-term goal is to reach 300 domestic locations under The Cheesecake Factory name alone. That expansion is already underway, including a new location in Illinois that opened in June.
Which Cheesecake Factory locations have closed in 2026?
Inc. confirmed the following closures associated with The Cheesecake Factory:
- 5335 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015
- 201 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD 21202
- 5000 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056 (Grand Luxe)
- 5115 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX (Blanco Cocina)
The Cheesecake Factory did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
—Amaya Nichole, News Writer
Get 1 Smart Business Story delivered straight to your inbox when you subscribe to Inc.’s free daily newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Fast Company’s sister website, Inc.com.
Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We inspire, inform, and document the most fascinating people in business: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that represent the most dynamic force in the American economy.