8-K

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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

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                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
                                 March 17, 2004


                       THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INCORPORATED
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)


         Delaware                        0-20574                 51-0340466
(State or other jurisdiction      (Commission File Number)     (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)

                                26950 Agoura Road
                        Calabasas Hills, California 91301
                    (Address of principal executive offices)

               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (818) 871-3000

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS

     On March 17, 2004, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated issued a press
release entitled "The Cheesecake Factory Announces Management Update." A copy of
the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.







                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Date:    March 17, 2004        THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY INCORPORATED



                               By:  /s/ MICHAEL J. DIXON
                               -------------------------------------------------
                               Michael J. Dixon
                               Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer







                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

  Exhibit    Description
- -----------  -------------------------------------------------------------------
    99.1     Press Release dated March 17, 2004 entitled "The Cheesecake Factory
             Announces Management Update."

EX-99

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

               The Cheesecake Factory Announces Management Update

     CALABASAS HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2004--The Cheesecake
Factory Incorporated (Nasdaq:CAKE) today announced that Peter D'Amelio has been
promoted to President and COO of the Company's restaurant division. Reporting to
Chairman and CEO David Overton, D'Amelio will have responsibility for the
day-to-day operations of the Company's 79 Cheesecake Factory and Grand Lux Cafe
restaurants. He previously served as Senior Vice President of all of the
Company's restaurant operations prior to his most recent assignment as President
of the Grand Lux Cafe concept. D'Amelio, 42, joined The Cheesecake Factory in
1990 as a restaurant manager and has steadily advanced through the Company's
restaurant operations organization.
     "Peter is an outstanding restaurant operations executive with proven
leadership skills who knows how to correctly execute our highly customized and
complex restaurants," said Overton. "He is highly respected by everyone in our
Company, and I look forward to working closely with him as we execute our growth
plan."
     The Company also announced today that Jerry Deitchle, Corporate President,
is leaving The Cheesecake Factory to become President of a privately held casual
dining restaurant company. "Jerry has played a significant role in helping us to
build a strong infrastructure of corporate and financial systems, people and
processes that effectively support the disciplined growth of our restaurant and
bakery operations," said Overton. "We thank him for his contributions over the
years and wish him the best in his new endeavor."
     "I feel that I have accomplished the goals that I set for myself when I
joined The Cheesecake Factory nine years ago, and it is time for me to accept a
new challenge," said Deitchle. "As I depart, the health of The Cheesecake
Factory has never been stronger, and the management team has never been deeper.
The Cheesecake Factory has a very bright future ahead of it for many years to
come, and I wish the Company continued success."
     "The Cheesecake Factory has strong operating momentum, as evidenced by our
approximate 5% increase in comparable restaurant sales so far this quarter,"
commented Overton, who will re-assume the corporate president's title at the
Company. "Our Company has a solid balance sheet and flexible financial position,
a talented and experienced management team and an enviable multi-year record of
increasing stockholder value. We have strong confidence in our ability to
execute our growth plan with continued operational and financial excellence."

     The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated operates 75 upscale, casual dining
restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory(R) name that offer an extensive menu of
more than 200 items with an average check of approximately $16.00. The Company
also operates a bakery production facility that produces over 50 varieties of
quality cheesecakes and other baked products for the Company's restaurants and
for other leading foodservice operators, retailers and distributors.
Additionally, the Company operates three upscale casual dining restaurants under
the Grand Lux Cafe(R) name in Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas; one
self-service, limited menu "express" foodservice operation under The Cheesecake
Factory Express(R) mark inside the DisneyQuest(R) family entertainment center in
Orlando, Florida; and licenses three bakery cafe outlets to another foodservice
operator under The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe(R) name.

     This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that
may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that
undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. In particular,
forward-looking statements regarding the Company's restaurant sales trends are
subject to risks and uncertainties due to national and regional economic and
public safety conditions that impact consumer confidence and spending, as well
as weather and other factors outside of the Company's control. Forward-looking
statements regarding the number and timing of the Company's planned new
restaurant openings, and the amount and timing of their associated preopening
costs, are subject to risks and uncertainties due to factors outside of the
Company's control, including factors that are under the control of government
agencies, landlords and others. Forward-looking statements regarding bakery
sales are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including (but not
limited to) unforeseen change in the purchasing plans of the Company's
large-account bakery customers and inherent difficulties in predicting the
timing of product orders and shipments. Forward-looking statements speak only as
of the dates on which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or to make any other
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future
events or otherwise unless required to do so by the securities laws. Investors
are referred to the full discussion of risks and uncertainties associated with
forward-looking statements contained in the Company's filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.

    CONTACT: The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
             Jane Vallaire, (818) 871-3000