Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Jul. 04, 2017
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies	1. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated and its wholly owned subsidiaries (referred to herein collectively as the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”) prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. All intercompany accounts and transactions for the periods presented have been eliminated in consolidation. The unaudited financial statements presented herein include all material adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair statement of the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the period. However, these results are not necessarily indicative of results for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2017 filed with the SEC on March 2, 2017. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions for the reporting periods covered by the financial statements. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates. We utilize a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Tuesday closest to December 31 for financial reporting purposes. Fiscal year 2017 consists of 52 weeks and will end on January 2, 2018. Fiscal 2016, which ended on January 3, 2017, was a 53-week year. Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Lease Terminations We assess the potential impairment of our long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets or asset group may not be recoverable. Factors considered include, but are not limited to, significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results, significant changes in the manner in which an asset is being used, an expectation that an asset will be disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life and significant negative industry or economic trends. We regularly review restaurants that are cash flow negative for the previous four quarters and those that are being considered for closure or relocation to determine if impairment testing is warranted. At any given time, we may be monitoring a small number of locations, and future impairment charges could be required if individual restaurant performance does not improve or we make the decision to close or relocate a restaurant. We recorded $0.4 million and $1.2 million in the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended, respectively, of accelerated depreciation and impairment expense related to the relocation of one The Cheesecake Factory restaurant and the lease expiration of one The Cheesecake Factory restaurant. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance affecting all entities that issue share-based payment awards to their employees. This update covers such areas as the recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies, the classification of those excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows, an accounting policy election for forfeitures, the amount an employer can withhold to cover income taxes and still qualify for equity classification and the classification of those taxes paid on the statement of cash flows. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We adopted these provisions prospectively in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. This guidance requires the tax impact of stock options exercised and vested restricted stock to be recorded in the income tax provision instead of additional paid-in capital, which decreased our income tax provision by $1.6 million and $5.5 million in the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 4, 2017, respectively. In addition, the excess tax benefit related to stock options exercised is no longer reclassified from cash flows from operating activities to cash flows from financing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. In this filing, we adjusted the prior year consolidated statements of cash flows to conform to the current year presentation. We will continue to estimate forfeitures each period, so there is no change to our accounting policy related to forfeitures. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet a liability to make lease payments and a corresponding right-of-use asset. The standard also requires certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures about the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and requires a modified retrospective approach. Although early adoption is permitted, we will adopt these provisions in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. This guidance will have a material effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires inventory within the scope of the standard to be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Previous guidance required inventory to be measured at the lower of cost or market (where market was defined as replacement cost, with a ceiling of net realizable value and floor of net realizable value less a normal profit margin). This guidance was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. Our adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 had an immaterial impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance that provides a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that supersedes most of the existing revenue recognition requirements and require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of this standard by one year with early adoption permitted no earlier than the original effective date. The guidance is now effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. In March and April 2016, the FASB provided additional guidance related to implementation. This standard is not expected to have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

1. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated and its wholly owned subsidiaries (referred to herein collectively as the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”) prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. All intercompany accounts and transactions for the periods presented have been eliminated in consolidation. The unaudited financial statements presented herein include all material adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair statement of the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows for the period. However, these results are not necessarily indicative of results for any other interim period or for the full fiscal year. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2017 filed with the SEC on March 2, 2017.

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions for the reporting periods covered by the financial statements. These estimates and assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

We utilize a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Tuesday closest to December 31 for financial reporting purposes. Fiscal year 2017 consists of 52 weeks and will end on January 2, 2018. Fiscal 2016, which ended on January 3, 2017, was a 53-week year.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Lease Terminations

We assess the potential impairment of our long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets or asset group may not be recoverable. Factors considered include, but are not limited to, significant underperformance relative to historical or projected future operating results, significant changes in the manner in which an asset is being used, an expectation that an asset will be disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life and significant negative industry or economic trends. We regularly review restaurants that are cash flow negative for the previous four quarters and those that are being considered for closure or relocation to determine if impairment testing is warranted. At any given time, we may be monitoring a small number of locations, and future impairment charges could be required if individual restaurant performance does not improve or we make the decision to close or relocate a restaurant.

We recorded $0.4 million and $1.2 million in the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended, respectively, of accelerated depreciation and impairment expense related to the relocation of one The Cheesecake Factory restaurant and the lease expiration of one The Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance affecting all entities that issue share-based payment awards to their employees. This update covers such areas as the recognition of excess tax benefits and deficiencies, the classification of those excess tax benefits on the statement of cash flows, an accounting policy election for forfeitures, the amount an employer can withhold to cover income taxes and still qualify for equity classification and the classification of those taxes paid on the statement of cash flows. This guidance is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. We adopted these provisions prospectively in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. This guidance requires the tax impact of stock options exercised and vested restricted stock to be recorded in the income tax provision instead of additional paid-in capital, which decreased our income tax provision by $1.6 million and $5.5 million in the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended July 4, 2017, respectively. In addition, the excess tax benefit related to stock options exercised is no longer reclassified from cash flows from operating activities to cash flows from financing activities on the consolidated statements of cash flows. In this filing, we adjusted the prior year consolidated statements of cash flows to conform to the current year presentation. We will continue to estimate forfeitures each period, so there is no change to our accounting policy related to forfeitures.

In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance that requires a lessee to recognize on the balance sheet a liability to make lease payments and a corresponding right-of-use asset. The standard also requires certain qualitative and quantitative disclosures about the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This update is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2018 and requires a modified retrospective approach. Although early adoption is permitted, we will adopt these provisions in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. This guidance will have a material effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires inventory within the scope of the standard to be measured at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Previous guidance required inventory to be measured at the lower of cost or market (where market was defined as replacement cost, with a ceiling of net realizable value and floor of net realizable value less a normal profit margin). This guidance was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. Our adoption of this guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 had an immaterial impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued accounting guidance that provides a comprehensive new revenue recognition model that supersedes most of the existing revenue recognition requirements and require entities to recognize revenue at an amount that reflects the consideration to which a company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring goods or services to a customer. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date of this standard by one year with early adoption permitted no earlier than the original effective date. The guidance is now effective for us beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. In March and April 2016, the FASB provided additional guidance related to implementation. This standard is not expected to have a material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.