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Cheesecake Factory Executive Compensation (FY25)

CAKE · Calabasas Hills, CA · Executive and director compensation, fiscal 2022 to 2025

The Cheesecake Factory brief, $1,500

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Data as of September 7, 2026Latest filing (8-K): June 3, 2026
14 filings cited on this page
A report that fails to generate is refunded in full
Published by Velarion Company Intelligence
Cheesecake Factory brief$1,500Get the executive brief
279 figures on this page: 268 cited to the filing that reported them, 11 calculated from figures it prints. See the citations
Chief executive, fiscal 2025
◇
David Overton
Latest say-on-pay support
=
May 28, 2026
Chief executive pay ratio
◇
To the median employee
What changed from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025
The figures that moved, and by how much. Analysis of these figures is part of the Velarion platform.
Chief executive total compensation — David Overton: $8,163,835 → $8,419,852 (3.1% higher)

Frequently asked questions

Answers drawn from the data on this page.
Who is Cheesecake Factory's chief executive and what were they paid?
Total compensation for David Overton, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, came to $8,419,852 in fiscal 2025. Overton's total was 3.1% higher than the $8,163,835 reported for fiscal 2024.
What was Cheesecake Factory's say-on-pay result?
Shareholders recorded 99.4% support for the say-on-pay proposal at the meeting held May 28, 2026 for fiscal 2025.
Which companies are in Cheesecake Factory's peer group?
The disclosed peer group names BJ's Restaurants, Inc., Bloomin' Brands, Inc., Brinker International, Inc., Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. and Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., among others.
What is Cheesecake Factory's chief executive pay ratio?
For fiscal 2025, the company reported a chief executive pay ratio of 268:1, against median employee compensation of $31,381.

Executive compensation

Every element reported for each named executive officer, by fiscal year.
Fiscal 2022
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
David Overton
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
David M. Gordon
President, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Matthew E. Clark
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Scarlett May
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Keith T. Carango
President, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2024
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
David Overton
Chairman of the Board and CEO
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
David M. Gordon
President, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Matthew E. Clark
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇◇◇—◇◇
Scarlett May
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Keith T. Carango
President, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Fiscal 2025
OfficerSalaryBonusStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
David Overton
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
David Gordon
President, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Matthew Clark
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Scarlett May
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
Keith Carango
President, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated
◇—◇—◇—◇◇
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. A negative change in pension value is shown but, as the company reports it, not included in the total.

Equity awards granted

Individual awards as disclosed: type, date, unit counts at each level, and grant date value.
Fiscal 2025
OfficerAwardGrant dateThreshold unitsTarget unitsUnits grantedMaximum unitsExercise priceGrant date fair value
David M. GordonPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
David M. GordonRSU◇——◇——◇
David OvertonPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
David OvertonRSU◇——◇——◇
Keith T. CarangoPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Keith T. CarangoRSU◇——◇——◇
Matthew E. ClarkRSU◇——◇——◇
Matthew E. ClarkPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Scarlett MayRSU◇——◇——◇
Scarlett MayPSU◇◇◇—◇—◇
Fiscal 2022, 2024 are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero. Threshold, target and maximum apply only to performance awards and are never shown for time-based or option awards.

Outstanding awards

Awards still held at fiscal year end.
As disclosed at fiscal 2025 year end
OfficerAwardUnvested unitsMarket value of unvested unitsExercise priceExpires
Keith CarangoRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Scarlett MayRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
David OvertonRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇02/18/2030
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇02/13/2027
Matthew ClarkRSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇02/16/2033
Option◇—◇02/18/2030
Option◇—◇02/15/2034
RSU◇◇——
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
David GordonRSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇02/18/2030
PSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
RSU◇◇——
Option◇—◇02/15/2034
PSU◇◇——
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Severance and change in control

The terms as written in the agreements.
David Overton
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer · Terms as described in the company’s compensation discussion · citing a 2025 filing
Excise tax treatment◇

Director compensation

What each non-employee director was paid.
Fiscal 2025
DirectorFees earned in cashStock awardsOption awardsNon-equity incentivePension and deferred earningsAll other compensationTotal
Jerome I. Kransdorf
Lead independent director
◇—————◇
David B. Pittaway
◇—————◇
Alexander L. Cappello
◇◇————◇
Janice L. Meyer
◇◇————◇
Adam S. Gordon
◇—————◇
Khanh Collins
◇◇————◇
Edie A. Ames
◇—————◇
David Overton served on the board in fiscal 2025 and received no compensation for board service. Executive directors are typically paid through their executive roles, shown above.
Earlier years are included in the PDF.
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column. $0 is shown only where the filing prints a zero.

Director fee schedule

The standing retainers and premiums the board pays, as published.
Board equity retainer◇
Lead independent director premium◇
Audit committee chair◇
Compensation committee chair◇
Nominating and governance chair◇

Disclosed peer group

The companies this board named as its compensation comparison group. The list is disclosure; the comparison is analysis.
Fiscal 2025
  • BJ's Restaurants, Inc. BJRI
  • Bloomin' Brands, Inc. BLMN
  • Brinker International, Inc. EAT
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. CMG
  • Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. CBRL
  • Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. PLAY
  • Denny's Corporation DENN
  • Dine Brands Global, Inc. DIN
  • Domino's Pizza, Inc. DPZ
  • Hyatt Hotels Corporation H
  • Jack in the Box Inc. JACK
  • Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. RRGB
  • Texas Roadhouse, Inc. TXRH
  • The Wendy's Company WEN
  • Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. WH

Say-on-pay history

Shareholder support for the compensation program, by year.
YearMeetingSupportVotes forVotes againstAbstentions
2025May 28, 2026=◇◇◇
2024May 22, 2025=◇◇◇
2023May 30, 2024=◇◇◇
2022June 1, 2023=◇◇◇
2021May 19, 2022=◇◇◇
2020May 27, 2021=◇◇◇
2019May 28, 2020=◇◇◇
2018May 30, 2019=◇◇◇
2017May 31, 2018=◇◇◇
2016June 8, 2017=◇◇◇
2015June 23, 2016=◇◇◇

Chief executive pay ratio

As calculated and reported by the company.
Ratio
◇
Median employee compensation
◇
Chief executive total compensation
◇
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What this page does not include

Everything above is a fact Cheesecake Factory disclosed, and it is free. Everything below is our analysis of those facts, and it is not.
Peer benchmarking
Where Cheesecake Factory sits against its disclosed peers — percentile position by role and by pay element, and the ranking behind it. The disclosed peer group is free; comparisons across it are part of the Velarion platform.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500
Written compensation analysis
A read of the pay program as designed and as paid: incentive structure, goal rigor, the alignment between the committee's stated philosophy and what the numbers show.
Executive Compensation Report — $1,500
Board and governance analysis
Committee composition, independence, director pay positioning, and the governance provisions read together rather than listed.
Board Governance Report — $1,200
Realizable pay
What the awards above are actually worth today against what they were valued at on grant, and what the gap says about the pay-for-performance link.
Velarion Intelligence
Adviser switching and vote outcomes
Two datasets covering compensation-adviser changes and what followed a contested vote. Both are part of the Velarion platform.
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Citations

Every figure on this page is cited to the document that reported it. Select any figure to see its citation.
279 figures on this page: 268 cited to the filing that reported them, 11 calculated from figures it prints.
268 cited to the filing
11 calculated from the filing

Documents cited

  1. 0001104659-26-070125
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  2. 0001104659-26-042016
    CEO Pay Ratio · Director Compensation · Grants of Plan-Based Awards in Fiscal 2025 · Outstanding Equity Awards At Fiscal Year End · and 1 more section
  3. 0001104659-25-053643
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  4. 0001104659-25-033762
    Compensation Discussion and Analysis · Summary Compensation Table
  5. 0001104659-24-068266
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  6. 0001104659-23-068068
  7. 0001104659-23-047769
    Summary Compensation Table
  8. 0001104659-22-063874
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  9. 0001104659-21-075439
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  10. 0001104659-20-068970
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  11. 0001104659-19-034033
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  12. 0001104659-18-037995
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
  13. 0001104659-17-038816
  14. 0001104659-16-129484
    Item 5.07 Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
Cite this data
This page is free to cite. Attribution we ask for:
Velarion, “Cheesecake Factory executive compensation, FY2022–FY2025.” https://intel.velarion.ai/comp/CAKE (accessed 2026).
Short form: data: Velarion

The Cheesecake Factory brief, $1,500

Positioning against its disclosed peers, the governance read, incentive design, and the CD&A alignment analysis; the full peer table; a committee-ready PDF.
From $1,200 for the board report; $2,400 for both.
Get the executive briefGet the board briefNo account needed.
14 filings cited on this page
Method: intel.velarion.ai/methodology
A report that fails to generate is refunded in full
Published by Velarion Company Intelligence
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Peers Cheesecake Factory discloses

The companies named in CAKE's own disclosed peer group.

BJ's Restaurants, Inc.Bloomin' Brands, Inc.Brinker International, Inc.Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.Denny's CorporationDine Brands Global, Inc.Domino's Pizza, Inc.Hyatt Hotels CorporationJack in the Box Inc.Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.Texas Roadhouse, Inc.The Wendy's CompanyWyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Terms on this page

Say-on-Pay VoteCEO Pay RatioMedian Employee CompensationAll companies

Free to read and cite. Redistribution or bulk use of the dataset requires a data license. Talk to us about the data license.

Cite this data
APA
Velarion Company Intelligence. (2026). Velarion database: executive and board compensation data (Version 2026Q3) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854
BibTeX
@misc{velarionData2026,
  author = {{Velarion Company Intelligence}},
  title = {Velarion database: executive and board compensation data},
  year = {2026},
  version = {2026Q3},
  doi = {10.5281/zenodo.22283854},
  publisher = {Zenodo},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22283854}
}
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