The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated

Twice as Nice: Dedication to Integrated Pest Management Leads to Second Win for The Cheesecake Factory Bakery & Orkin

A meal at The Cheesecake Factory restaurant is never complete without a taste of one of their 30-plus signature cheesecakes, delicately hand crafted at The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated. As the bakery for The Cheesecake Factory restaurants, as well as other leading foodservice operators, retailers and distributors across the country, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery takes great pride in its specialty desserts, which have grown from a family recipe to a global business.

Producing more than 5 million cheesecakes annually, it’s essential that The Cheesecake Factory Bakery’s 60,000 square-foot facility in Calabasas Hills, Calif. be well-maintained by its employees, who uphold the highest safety standards to ensure complete customer satisfaction. The company’s strong commitment to excellence and focus on food safety and proactive Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices have earned the facility its second Gold Medal™ IPM Partner Award, presented by Orkin, LLC, The IPM Institute of North America and NSF.

To learn more about this two-time award-winning partnership, we spoke with Iris Eshoo, director of food safety and quality assurance at The Cheesecake Factory Bakery. Here is an edited transcription of that interview.

Why is The Cheesecake Factory Bakery deserving of its second Gold Medal™ IPM Partner Award?

“Even more important than our delicious cheesecake varieties, food safety is arguably the most essential component of our business. We care deeply about producing products of the highest quality and standards, and performing well on the pest management portion of our third-party audits is integral to maintaining those standards. This second Gold Medal™ Award win speaks volumes about our team, our facility and our incredible partnership with Orkin.”

Why is IPM so critical to The Cheesecake Factory Bakery’s business?

“Pests are simply unacceptable. Orkin’s Gold Medal Protection program affords us a second expert pair of eyes to help monitor our facility. The program helps keep our sanitation and pest management efforts on track. The support and services Orkin has provided us over the years have been effective, and our pest specialist is very diligent with his inspections.”

How does each partner contribute to the pest management efforts at the facility?

“‘Partnership’ is really the perfect word to describe our relationship with Orkin. They service numerous manufacturing facilities, and we benefit from their years of experience and strong reputation. We value our pest specialist’s sanitation and facility maintenance recommendations, and if we ever find a potential pest issue, Orkin acts promptly."

“Internally, each floor area supervisor is highly sensitive to and aware of their personal pest management responsibilities, due largely to our Orkin pest specialist’s visible presence and regular interaction with our entire staff. When Orkin onsite, he discusses potential issues with me, as well as the floor area supervisors. This constant communication is a key driver of our success.”

What results has your award-winning partnership achieved?

“Since beginning our partnership with Orkin in 2003, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery has achieved outstanding scores on the pest management portions of our third-party audits. We haven’t had a pest problem in years – the proof is in the pudding, or in our case, the cake.”