Forward-Looking Statements


Certain information included in this Form 10-Q and other materials filed or to
be filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), as well as
information included in oral or written statements made by us or on our behalf,
may contain forward-looking statements about our current and presently expected
performance trends, growth plans, business goals and other matters.

These statements may be contained in our filings with the SEC, in our press
releases, in other written communications, and in oral statements made by or
with the approval of one of our authorized officers. These statements are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as codified in Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with the Securities Act, the "Acts").
This includes, without limitation, statements regarding corporate social
responsibility ("CSR") and in our CSR report, the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic on our financial condition and our results of operations, accelerated
and diversified revenue growth as a result of the acquisition of North Italia
and Fox Restaurant Concepts LLC ("FRC"), financial guidance and projections as
well as expectations of our future financial condition, results of operations,
sales, target growth rates, cash flows, quarterly dividends, corporate strategy,
plans, targets, goals, objectives, performance, growth potential, competitive
position and business, and statements regarding our ability to: leverage our
competitive strengths, including investing in or acquiring new restaurant
concepts and expanding The Cheesecake Factory® brand to other retail
opportunities; maintain our aggregate sales volumes; deliver comparable sales
growth; provide a differentiated experience to customers; outperform the casual
dining industry and increase our market share; leverage sales increases and
manage flow through; manage cost pressures, including increasing wage rates,
insurance costs and legal expenses, and stabilize margins; grow earnings; remain
relevant to consumers; attract and retain qualified management and other staff;
manage risks associated with the magnitude and complexity of regulations in the
jurisdictions where our restaurants are located; increase shareholder value;
find suitable sites and manage increasing construction costs; profitably expand
our concepts domestically and in Canada, and work with our licensees to expand
our concept internationally; support the growth of North Italia and other FRC
restaurants; operate Social Monk Asian Kitchen and other concepts; and utilize
our capital effectively and continue to issue cash dividends and repurchase our
shares. These forward-looking statements may be affected by various factors
including: the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and related
containment measures, including the potential for a complete shutdown of our
restaurants, international licensee restaurants and our bakery operations;
supply chain disruptions and inflation; the geopolitical environment,
demonstrations, political unrest, potential damage to or closure of our
restaurants and potential reputational damage to us or any of our brands;
economic, public health and political conditions that impact consumer confidence
and spending, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other health
epidemics or pandemics on the global economy; acceptance and success of The
Cheesecake Factory in international markets; acceptance and success of North
Italia and the FRC concepts, Social Monk Asian Kitchen and other concepts; the
risks of doing business abroad through Company-owned restaurants and/or
licensees; foreign exchange rates, tariffs and cross border taxation; changes in
unemployment rates; changes in laws impacting our business, including laws and
regulations related to COVID-19 impacting restaurant operations and customer
access to off- and on-premises dining; increases in minimum wages and benefit
costs; the economic health of our landlords and other tenants in retail centers
in which our restaurants are located, and our ability to successfully manage our
lease arrangements with landlords; unanticipated costs that may arise in
connection with a return to normal course of business, including potential
negative impacts from furlough actions; the economic health of suppliers,
licensees, vendors and other third parties providing goods or services to us;
the timing of our new unit development; compliance with debt covenants;
strategic capital allocation decisions including any share repurchases or
dividends; the ability to achieve projected financial results; economic and
political conditions that impact consumer confidence and spending; the
resolution of uncertain tax positions with the Internal Revenue Service and the
impact of tax reform legislation; adverse weather conditions in regions in which
our restaurants are located; factors that are under the control of government
agencies, landlords and other third parties; the risks, costs and uncertainties
associated with opening new restaurants; and other risks and uncertainties
detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Such forward-looking
statements include all other statements that are not historical facts, as well
as statements that are preceded by, followed by or that include words or phrases
such as "believe," "plan," "will likely result," "expect," "intend," "will
continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," "may," "could," "would,"
"should" and similar expressions. These statements are based on our current
expectations and involve risks and uncertainties which may cause results to
differ materially from those set forth in such statements.

In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Acts, we have identified
and are disclosing important factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause
our actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking
statements made by us, or on our behalf. (See Part II, Item 1A of this report,
"Risk Factors," and Part I, Item 1A, "Risk Factors," included in our Annual

Report

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on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2021.) These cautionary
statements are to be used as a reference in connection with any forward-looking
statements. The factors, risks and uncertainties identified in these cautionary
statements are in addition to those contained in any other cautionary
statements, written or oral, which may be made or otherwise addressed in
connection with a forward-looking statement or contained in any of our
subsequent filings with the SEC. Because of these factors, risks and
uncertainties, we caution against placing undue reliance on forward-looking
statements. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying forward-looking
statements are currently reasonable, any of the assumptions could be incorrect
or incomplete, and there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements
will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date
on which they are made, and we undertake 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 law.

The below discussion and analysis, which contains forward-looking statements,
should be read in conjunction with our interim unaudited condensed consolidated
financial statements and related notes in Part I, Item 1 of this report and with
the following items included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year ended December 28, 2021: the audited consolidated financial statements and
related notes in Part IV, Item 15; the "Risk Factors" included in Part I, Item
1A; the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operations" included in Part II, Item 7; and the cautionary statements
included throughout this Form 10-Q. The inclusion of supplementary analytical
and related information herein may require us to make estimates and assumptions
to enable us to fairly present, in all material respects, our analysis of trends
and expectations with respect to our results of operations and financial
position.

COVID-19 Pandemic


Beginning in March 2020, COVID-19 and measures to prevent its spread led to
temporary closures, shifts to an off-premise only operating model or reduced
dining room capacity across our portfolio. While restrictions on the type of
permitted operating model and occupancy capacity may continue to change,
currently all of our restaurants are operating with no capacity restrictions.
The ongoing effects of COVID-19 and its variants, including, but not limited to,
consumer behavior, capacity restrictions, mask and vaccination mandates, wage
inflation, our ability to continue to staff our restaurants and disruptions in
the supply chain, will determine the impact to our operating results and
financial position. The impact to our operations has been most notable during
the periods of greatest accelerating COVID-19 case counts. We have incurred and
will continue to incur additional costs to address government regulations and
the safety of our staff members and customers. If, in the future, we experience
significant disruptions related to COVID-19, we may again implement mitigation
actions such as raising additional financing, not declaring future dividends,
suspending share repurchases, suspending capital spending, implementing
furloughs or modifying our operating strategies. Some of these measures may have
an adverse impact on our business.

General

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a leader in experiential dining. We are
culinary forward and relentlessly focused on hospitality. We currently own and
operate 307 restaurants throughout the United States and Canada under brands
including 208 The Cheesecake Factory®, 29 North Italia® restaurants and a
collection within our FRC business. Internationally, 29 The Cheesecake Factory®
restaurants operate under licensing agreements. Our bakery division operates two
facilities that produce quality cheesecakes and other baked products for our
restaurants, international licensees and third-party bakery customers.

Overview



Our strategy is driven by our commitment to customer satisfaction and is focused
primarily on menu innovation, service and operational execution to continue to
differentiate ourselves from other restaurant concepts, as well as to drive
competitively strong performance that is sustainable. Financially, we are
focused on prudently managing expenses at our restaurants, bakery facilities and
corporate support center, and leveraging our size to make the best use of our
purchasing power.

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Investing in new Company-owned restaurant development is our top long-term
capital deployment priority, with a focus on opening our concepts in premier
locations within both new and existing markets. We expect our acquisition of
North Italia and FRC to further accelerate and diversify our growth
opportunities. For The Cheesecake Factory concept, we target an average
cash-on-cash return on investment of approximately 20% to 25% at the unit level.
We target an average cash-on-cash return on investment of approximately 35% for
the North Italia concept and 25% to 30% for the FRC concepts. Returns are
affected by the cost to build restaurants, the level of revenues that each
restaurant can deliver and our ability to maximize the profitability of
restaurants. Investing in new restaurant development that meets our return on
investment criteria is expected to support achieving mid-teens Company-level
return on invested capital.

Our overall revenue growth is primarily driven by revenues from new restaurant
openings and increases in comparable restaurant sales. Changes in comparable
restaurant sales come from variations in customer traffic as well as in average
check.

For The Cheesecake Factory concept, our strategy is to increase comparable
restaurant sales by growing average check and maintaining customer traffic
through (1) continuing to offer innovative, high quality menu items that offer
customers a wide range of options in terms of flavor, price and value, (2)
focusing on service and hospitality with the goal of delivering an exceptional
customer experience and (3) continuing to provide our customers with convenient
options for off-premise dining, as we believe there is opportunity for a
longer-term elevation of our off-premise mix compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic
levels. We are continuing our efforts on a number of initiatives, including menu
innovation, a greater focus on increasing customer throughput in our
restaurants, leveraging our gift card program, working with a third party to
provide delivery services for our restaurants, increasing customer awareness of
our online ordering capabilities, augmenting our marketing programs, enhancing
our training programs and leveraging our customer satisfaction measurement
platform.

Average check is driven by menu price increases and/or changes in menu mix. We
generally update The Cheesecake Factory menus twice each year, and our
philosophy is to use price increases to help offset key operating cost increases
in a manner that balances protecting both our margins and customer traffic
levels. We have historically targeted menu price increases of approximately 2%
to 3% annually, utilizing a market-based strategy to help mitigate cost pressure
in higher-wage geographies. Due to the cost pressures we are currently
experiencing, particularly in commodities, in the first quarter of fiscal 2022,
we implemented price increases above our historical levels to protect margins.
Future near-term pricing actions may also be at levels above historical norms.
In addition, on a regular basis, we carefully consider opportunities to adjust
our menu offerings or ingredients to help manage product availability and cost.

Margins are subject to fluctuations in commodity costs, labor, restaurant-level
occupancy expenses, general and administrative ("G&A") expenses and preopening
expenses. Our objective is to recapture our pre-COVID-19 pandemic margins and
longer-term to drive margin expansion, by leveraging incremental sales to
increase restaurant-level margins at The Cheesecake Factory concept, leveraging
our bakery operations, international and consumer packaged goods royalty revenue
streams and G&A expense over time, and optimizing our restaurant portfolio.

We plan to employ a balanced capital allocation strategy, comprised of:
investing in new restaurants that are expected to meet our targeted returns,
repaying borrowings under our Revolving Facility and returning capital to
shareholders through our dividend and share repurchase programs, the latter of
which offsets dilution from our equity compensation program and supports our
earnings per share growth. Future decisions to pay or to increase or decrease
dividends or to repurchase shares are at the discretion of the Board and will be
dependent on a number of factors, including limitations pursuant to the terms
and conditions of the Amended Credit Agreement and applicable law.

Longer-term, we believe our domestic revenue growth (comprised of our targeted
annual unit growth of 7%, in aggregate across concepts, and comparable sales
growth), combined with margin expansion, planned debt repayments and an
anticipated capital return program will support our long-term financial
objective of 13% to 14% total return to shareholders, on average. We define our
total return as earnings per share growth plus our dividend yield.

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Results of Operations

The following table presents, for the periods indicated, information from our
condensed consolidated statements of income/(loss) expressed as percentages of
revenues. The results of operations for the interim periods presented are not
necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any other interim
period or for the full fiscal year.

                                                          Thirteen          Thirteen
                                                        Weeks Ended       Weeks Ended
                                                       March 29, 2022    March 30, 2021
Revenues                                                        100.0 %           100.0 %

Costs and expenses:
Cost of sales                                                    23.7              21.7
Labor expenses                                                   37.3              36.6

Other operating costs and expenses                               26.2      

28.9


General and administrative expenses                               6.2      

7.1


Depreciation and amortization expenses                            2.7      

3.5


Impairment of assets and lease termination expenses                 -      

0.1


Acquisition-related contingent consideration,
compensation and amortization expenses                            0.1      

        0.1
Preopening costs                                                  0.2               0.6
Total costs and expenses                                         96.4              98.6
Income from operations                                            3.6               1.4

Interest and other expense, net                                 (0.2)      

      (0.4)
Income before income taxes                                        3.4               1.0
Income tax provision                                              0.5               0.4
Net income                                                        2.9               0.6

Dividends on Series A preferred stock                               -      

(0.8)


Net income/(loss) available to common stockholders                2.9 %    

(0.2) %

Thirteen Weeks Ended March 29, 2022 Compared to Thirteen Weeks Ended March 30, 2021



Revenues

Revenues increased 24.1% to $778.4 million for the fiscal quarter ended March
29, 2022 compared to $627.4 million for the comparable prior year period,
primarily due to an increase in comparable restaurant sales, reflecting the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, as well as
additional revenue related to new restaurant openings.

The Cheesecake Factory comparable sales increased by 20.7%, or $102.6 million,
from the first quarter of fiscal 2021. The increase from fiscal 2021 was
primarily driven by increased customer traffic of 25.3% primarily due to the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the prior year, partially offset by a decline
in average check of 4.6% (based on a 8.2% negative change in mix, partially
offset by an increase of 3.6% in menu pricing). Sales through the off-premise
channel comprised approximately 28% of our restaurant sales during the first
quarter of fiscal 2022 as compared to 43% in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 as
many customers have returned to on-premise dining, whereas consumer behavior had
shifted towards the off-premise channel during the prior year period due to the
pandemic. However, off-premise sales mix remains elevated versus the
pre-pandemic level of 17% during the first quarter of fiscal 2019. We account
for each off-premise order as one customer for traffic measurement purposes.
Therefore, average check is generally higher for off-premise orders as most are
for more than one customer. In turn, the lower mix of sales in the off-premise
channel during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 compared to the prior year first
quarter was the primary driver of the negative change in mix and also
contributed to the increase in traffic. We implemented effective menu price
increases of approximately 3.3% and 1.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 and
third quarter of fiscal 2021, respectively. The Cheesecake Factory average sales
per restaurant operating week increased 20.9% to $225,523 in the first quarter
of fiscal 2022 from $186,478 in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. Total
operating weeks at The Cheesecake Factory restaurants increased 1.0% to 2,704 in
the first quarter of fiscal 2022 compared to 2,678 in the prior year.

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North Italia comparable sales increased approximately 32% from the first quarter
of fiscal 2021. The increase from fiscal 2021 was primarily driven by increased
customer traffic of 32% primarily due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in
the prior year, partially offset by a decrease in average check of 1% (based on
a 5% negative change in mix, partially offset by an increase of 4% in menu
pricing). North Italia average sales per restaurant operating week increased
29.2% to $139,940 in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 from $108,328 in the first
quarter of fiscal 2021. Total operating weeks at North Italia increased 24.4% to
377 in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 compared to 303 in the prior year.

Restaurants become eligible to enter the comparable sales base in their 19th
month of operation. At March 29, 2022, there were three The Cheesecake Factory
restaurants and six North Italia restaurants not yet in the comparable sales
base. International licensed locations and restaurants that are no longer in
operation, including those which we have relocated, are excluded from comparable
sales calculations.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales consists of food, beverage and bakery production supply costs
incurred in conjunction with our restaurant and bakery revenues, and excludes
depreciation, which is captured separately in depreciation and amortization
expenses. As a percentage of revenues, cost of sales was 23.7% and 21.7% in the
first quarters of fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively, primarily due to inflation
in excess of pricing across most categories (2.4%), partially offset by a shift
in sales mix within the restaurants and a lower proportion of third-party bakery
revenues (0.4%).

Labor Expenses

As a percentage of revenues, labor expenses, which include restaurant-level
labor costs and bakery direct production labor, including associated fringe
benefits, were 37.3% and 36.6% in the first quarters of fiscal 2022 and 2021,
respectively. This increase was primarily due to wage rates and overtime (1.2%)
as well as training labor (0.3%), partially offset by pricing leverage (0.8%) in
the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

Other Operating Costs and Expenses



Other operating costs and expenses consist of restaurant-level occupancy
expenses (rent, common area expenses, insurance, licenses, taxes and utilities),
marketing, including delivery commissions, other operating expenses (excluding
food costs and labor expenses, which are reported separately) and bakery
production overhead and distribution expenses. As a percentage of revenues,
other operating costs and expenses were 26.2% and 28.9% in the first quarters of
fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. This variance was primarily driven by
pricing leverage (1.6%), sales leverage within the occupancy and building costs
(0.6%), and lower restaurant-level incentive compensation expense (0.5%),
partially offset by higher general liability insurance due to lower claim
activity in the prior year (0.2%).

G&A Expenses



G&A expenses consist of the restaurant management recruiting and training
program, restaurant field supervision, corporate support and bakery
administrative organizations, as well as gift card commissions to third-party
distributors. As a percentage of revenues, G&A expenses were 6.2% and 7.1% in
the first quarters of fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. This variance was
primarily driven by sales leverage and expense management (0.6%), as well as
lower corporate incentive compensation expense (0.3%).

Depreciation and Amortization Expenses



As a percentage of revenues, depreciation and amortization expenses decreased to
2.7% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 from 3.5% in the comparable prior year
period due primarily to sales leverage.

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Impairment of Assets and Lease Terminations



During the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we recorded impairment of assets and
lease terminations expense of $0.2 million related to lease termination costs
and accelerated depreciation for two Grand Lux Cafe locations that closed during
the quarter. In the first quarter of fiscal 2021, we recorded impairment of
assets and lease terminations expense of $0.6 million related to lease
termination costs for two Other restaurants.

Acquisition-Related Contingent Consideration, Compensation and Amortization Expenses



We recorded $0.9 million and $0.6 million during the first quarter of fiscal
2022 and 2021, respectively, of acquisition-related contingent consideration,
compensation and amortization.

Preopening Costs



Preopening costs were $1.8 million and $3.9 million in the first quarters of
fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. We had no openings in the first quarter of
fiscal 2022 compared to one The Cheesecake Factory, one North Italia and one
Other FRC location in the comparable prior year period. Preopening costs include
all costs to relocate and compensate restaurant management staff members during
the preopening period, costs to recruit and train hourly restaurant staff
members, and wages, travel and lodging costs for our opening training team and
other support staff members. Also included are expenses for maintaining a roster
of trained managers for pending openings, the associated temporary housing and
other costs necessary to relocate managers in alignment with future restaurant
opening and operating needs, and corporate travel and support activities.
Preopening costs can fluctuate significantly from period to period based on the
number, mix and timing of restaurant openings and the specific preopening costs
incurred for each restaurant.

Interest and Other Expense, Net



Interest and other expense, net was $1.5 million and $2.7 million for the first
quarters of fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. This decrease was primarily due
to interest in the prior year related to our interest rate swap, which was
terminated in June 2021 ($0.5 million), as well as favorability across several
other categories.

Income Tax Provision

Our effective income tax rate was 13.8% and 37.1% for the first quarters of
fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. The decrease resulted primarily from a
reserve for an uncertain tax position recorded in the first quarter of fiscal
2021, partially offset by a lower proportion of employment credits in relation
to pre-tax income in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

Non-GAAP Measures



Adjusted net income/(loss) and adjusted net income/(loss) per share are
supplemental measures of our performance that are not required by or presented
in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP measures may not be comparable to
similarly titled measures used by other companies and should not be considered
in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in
accordance with GAAP. We calculate these non-GAAP measures by eliminating from
net income/(loss) and diluted net income/(loss) per common share the impact of
items we do not consider indicative of our ongoing operations. To reflect the
potential impact of the conversion of our Series A preferred stock into common
stock for the period that it was outstanding prior to the conversion on June 15,
2021, we excluded the preferred dividend and assumed all convertible preferred
shares have been converted into common stock. (See Note 9 of Notes to Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report for further
discussion of our preferred stock.) We use these non-GAAP financial measures for
financial and operational decision-making and as a means to evaluate
period-to-period comparisons. Our inclusion of these adjusted measures should
not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by
unusual or infrequent items. In the future, we may incur expenses or generate
income similar to the adjusted items.

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Following is a reconciliation from net income/(loss) and diluted net income/(loss) per common share to the corresponding adjusted measures (in thousands, except per share data):

Thirteen            Thirteen
                                                                    Weeks Ended         Weeks Ended
                                                                   March 29, 2022      March 30, 2021
Net income/(loss) available to common stockholders                $         23,163    $        (1,202)
Dividends on Series A preferred stock                                            -               5,070
COVID-19 related costs (1)                                                       -               4,917
Impairment of assets and lease termination expenses                            207                 594

Acquisition-related contingent consideration, compensation and amortization expenses

                                                          891                 550
Uncertain tax positions                                                          -               2,471
Tax effect of adjustments (2)                                                (286)             (1,576)
Adjusted net income/(loss)                                        $        

23,975 $ 10,824


Diluted net income/(loss) per common share                        $           0.45    $         (0.03)
Dividends on Series A preferred stock                                            -                0.09

Assumed impact of potential conversion of preferred stock into common stock (3)

                                                                 -                0.00
COVID-19 related costs (1)                                                       -                0.09
Impairment of assets and lease termination expenses                           0.00                0.01

Acquisition-related contingent consideration, compensation and amortization expenses

                                                         0.02                0.01
Uncertain tax position                                                           -                0.05
Tax effect of adjustments (2)                                               (0.01)              (0.03)
Adjusted if-converted net income/(loss) per share (4)             $           0.47    $           0.20


Represents incremental costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic such as (1) additional sanitation, personal protective equipment, sick and vaccination

pay, and healthcare benefits associated with furloughed staff members.

(2) Based on the federal statutory rate and an estimated blended state tax rate,

the tax effect on all adjustments assumes a 26% tax rate.

Represents the impact of assuming the conversion of preferred stock into (3) common stock (9,598,559 shares), resulting in an assumption of 53,787,314

weighted-average common shares outstanding for the thirteen weeks ended March

30, 2021.

(4) Adjusted net income per share may not add due to rounding.

Fiscal 2022 Outlook



Based on extrapolating recent trends and assuming no material disruptions from
COVID-19 or other factors, we anticipate total revenue for the second quarter of
fiscal 2022 to be approximately $830 million to $850 million and for the full
fiscal year to be approximately $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion, with The
Cheesecake Factory fiscal year 2022 average sales per location reaching just
over $12 million, including the impact of the 53rd operating week. We remain
committed to protecting our longer-term restaurant-level margins and will take
appropriate actions, including additional menu pricing to offset structural and
permanent costs, as needed. However, we will likely continue to absorb
short-term cost fluctuations driven by the current environment. Including the
February 2022 price increase, we currently have 4.75% pricing in The Cheesecake
Factory menu and anticipate taking another menu price increase that is above our
historical norm in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.

For fiscal year 2022, we expect commodity inflation of low to mid double digits
inclusive of the recent geopolitical environment, with mid-teens inflation in
the second quarter of fiscal 2022 moderating to high single digit inflation in
the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. We expect fiscal year 2022 net labor
inflation of approximately 6% when factoring in wage rates and channel mix,
among other components such as payroll taxes and benefits. We also anticipate
other operating costs and expenses as a percentage of revenues to improve as we
move through the year, with a full year average of approximately 25.5%. In
addition, we expect fiscal 2022 G&A expenses of approximately $210 million,
preopening costs of approximately $18 million, depreciation and amortization
expenses of approximately $90 million and are utilizing a tax rate of
approximately 11% to 12% for modeling purposes.

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We plan to open as many as 15 to 16 new restaurants in fiscal 2022, including
four The Cheesecake Factory restaurants, four to five North Italia restaurants
and as many as seven restaurants within our FRC business, which includes three
to four Flower Child locations. We anticipate approximately $150 million in cash
capital expenditures to support this level of unit development, as well as
required maintenance on our restaurants.

Liquidity and Capital Resources



Our corporate financial objectives are to maintain a sufficiently strong and
conservative balance sheet to support our operating initiatives and unit growth
while maintaining financial flexibility to provide the financial resources
necessary to protect and enhance the competitiveness of our restaurant and
bakery brands and to provide a prudent level of financial capacity to manage the
risks and uncertainties of conducting our business operations under various
economic and industry cycles. Typically, cash flows generated from operating
activities are our principal source of liquidity, which we use to finance our
restaurant expansion plans, ongoing maintenance of our restaurants and bakery
facilities and investment in our corporate and information technology
infrastructures. However, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our
operations, during fiscal 2020 we increased borrowings under our credit facility
and issued convertible preferred stock to increase our liquidity. During fiscal
2021, we used net proceeds from issuing convertible senior notes and additional
common stock to fund the repurchase of the majority of our Series A preferred
stock and the conversion of the remaining Series A preferred stock into common
stock, simplifying our capital structure and eliminating future convertible
preferred stock dividends. We also utilized a portion of the net proceeds to
reduce borrowings under our credit facility.

Similar to many restaurant and retail chain store operations, we utilize
operating lease arrangements for all of our restaurant locations. Accordingly,
our lease arrangements reduce, to some extent, our capacity to utilize funded
indebtedness in our capital structure. We are not limited to the use of lease
arrangements as our only method of opening new restaurants. However, we believe
our operating lease arrangements continue to provide appropriate leverage for
our capital structure in a financially efficient manner.

During the first quarter of fiscal 2022, our cash and cash equivalents decreased
by $6.1 million to $183.6 million. The following table presents, for the periods
indicated, a summary of our key cash flows from operating, investing and
financing activities (in millions):

                                                             Thirteen            Thirteen
                                                           Weeks Ended         Weeks Ended
                                                          March 29, 2022      March 30, 2021

Cash provided by operating activities                    $           33.5    $           21.6
Additions to property and equipment                                (29.1)               (7.2)
Acquisition-related deferred consideration and
compensation                                                        (7.2)                   -


Cash Provided by Operating Activities

Cash flows from operations increased by $11.9 million from the first quarter of fiscal 2021 primarily due to a lesser impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Property and Equipment



Capital expenditures for new restaurants, including locations under development,
were $16.5 million and ($0.3) million for the first quarters of fiscal 2022 and
2021, respectively. Capital expenditures also included $12.2 million and $6.7
million for our existing restaurants and $0.4 million and $0.8 million for
bakery and corporate capacity and infrastructure investments in the first
quarters of fiscal 2022 and 2021, respectively. We currently anticipate fiscal
2022 capital expenditures to be approximately $150 million.

Acquisition-Related Deferred Consideration and Compensation

During the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we made a payment of $7.2 million for contingent consideration and compensation related to the FRC acquisition.



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Convertible Senior Notes

On June 15, 2021, we issued $345.0 million in aggregate principal amount of
convertible senior notes ("Notes"), which will mature on June 15, 2026, unless
earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. At March 29, 2022, the conversion
rate for the Notes was 12.7551 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal
amount of the Notes, which represents a conversion price of approximately $78.40
per share of common stock. In connection with the cash dividend that was
declared by our Board on April 21, 2022, on May 12, 2022 we will adjust the
conversion rate (which is expected to increase) and the conversion price (which
is expected to decrease) of the Notes in accordance with the terms. (See Note 5
of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of
this report for further discussion of the Notes.)

Revolving Credit Facility



On March 30, 2021, we entered into an Amended Credit Agreement, which terminates
on July 30, 2024, and consists of a $400 million revolving loan facility (the
"Revolving Facility"), including a $40 million sublimit for letters of credit.
The Amended Credit Agreement also provides the ability to increase the Revolving
Facility in an amount not to exceed (a) during the Covenant Relief Period $125
million and (b) thereafter, $200 million. The funding of any such increases are
subject to receipt of lender commitments and satisfaction of customary
conditions precedent. Certain of our material subsidiaries have guaranteed our
obligations under the Amended Credit Agreement.

The Amended Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative
covenants, including limits on cash dividends and share repurchases with respect
to our equity interests, and restrictions on indebtedness, liens, investments,
sales of assets, fundamental changes and other matters. The Amended Credit
Agreement also contains customary events of default that include, among others,
non-payment of principal, interest or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy
of representations and warranties, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material
judgements, cross defaults to material indebtedness and events constituting a
change of control. The occurrence of an event of default could result in the
termination of commitments under the Revolving Facility, the declaration that
all outstanding loans are immediately due and payable in whole or in part and
the requirement of cash collateral deposits in respect of outstanding letters of
credit. As of March 29, 2022, we were in compliance with the covenants set forth
in the Revolving Facility. At March 29, 2022, we had net availability for
borrowings of $240.1 million, based on a $130.0 million outstanding debt balance
and $29.9 million in standby letters of credit. (See Note 5 of Notes to
Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report for
further discussion of our long-term debt.)

Common Stock Dividends


To preserve liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic and in conjunction with the
terms of the Amended Credit Agreement, our Board suspended declaring dividends
on our common stock. Cash dividends of $2.2 million were paid in the first
quarter of fiscal 2021, represent dividends previously accrued on restricted
stock awards that vested during those quarters. In April 2022, our Board
declared a quarterly dividend. (See Note 13 for further information on the
approved dividend.) Future decisions to pay or to increase or decrease dividends
are at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent on our operating
performance, financial condition, capital expenditure requirements, limitations
on cash distributions pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Amended Credit
Agreement and applicable law, and other such factors that the Board considers
relevant.

Share Repurchases

Under authorization by our Board to repurchase up to 56.0 million shares of our
common stock, we have cumulatively repurchased 53.2 million shares at a total
cost of $1,706.4 million through March 29, 2022 with 97,682 shares repurchased
at a cost of $3.9 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2022 to satisfy tax
withholding obligations on vested restricted share awards. Our objectives with
regard to share repurchases have been to offset the dilution to our shares
outstanding that results from equity compensation grants and to supplement our
earnings per share growth. Our share repurchase program does not have an
expiration date, does not require us to purchase a specific number of shares and
may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time.

To preserve liquidity during the COVID-19 pandemic and in conjunction with the
terms of our Amended Credit Agreement, our Board suspended our share repurchase
program. In April 2022, our Board reinstated our share repurchase program.
Future decisions to repurchase shares are at the discretion of the Board and are
based on several factors, including current and forecasted operating cash flows,
capital needs associated with new restaurant development and maintenance of
existing locations, dividend payments, debt levels and cost of borrowing,
obligations associated with the Acquisition, our share price and current market

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conditions. The timing and number of shares repurchased are also subject to
legal constraints and covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement that limit
share repurchases based on a defined ratio. (See Note 9 of Notes to Condensed
Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report for further
discussion of our repurchase authorization and methods.)

Cash Flow Outlook


We believe that our cash and cash equivalents, combined with expected cash flows
provided by operations and available borrowings under the Revolving Facility,
will provide us with adequate liquidity for the next 12 months and the
foreseeable future.

As of March 29, 2022, we had no financing transactions, arrangements or other
relationships with any unconsolidated entities or related parties. Additionally,
we had no financing arrangements involving synthetic leases or trading
activities involving commodity contracts.

Critical Accounting Estimates


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. Our
critical accounting estimates have not changed materially from those previously
reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December
28, 2021.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

See Note 1 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in Part I, Item 1 of this report for a summary of new accounting standards.

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