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Cheesecake Factory Bakery | The first India store, opened in Bengaluru

2026.03.26

Article summary

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is the bakery arm of the US-based The Cheesecake Factory. Teaming up with local partner The Gourmet Cafe, it opened its first India store at Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru on February 23, 2026. The Gourmet Cafe has set a target of about 55 stores in four to five years, an investment of about $60 million, and revenue of ₹200–250 crore (1 crore = 10 million rupees), with plans to expand in Bengaluru first before moving into Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Stores are mainly 800–1,200 square foot QSR/kiosk formats rather than full-service restaurants. As is typical when a US restaurant brand enters India, the local side bears the funding and store-opening risk. Because gelatin of animal origin is classified as non-veg under labeling rules, and egg-containing items are treated the same way, recipes must be reworked from the ground up.

This article is based on what we could verify As of September 19, 2026 This page is based on the disclosures and news reports from each company that we were able to confirm as of that date. Amounts in the text follow the notation commonly used in India, with ₹1 crore = 10 million rupees, and yen figures are approximations calculated at a little over 1.7 yen to the rupee. Store counts, funding raised, and results at Indian companies change over short periods, so when making a business decision, please check the latest information in primary sources such as each company's own announcements.

The bakery division of the U.S. company The Cheesecake Factory opened its first store in India at Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru on February 23, 2026. Operations are handled by the local company The Gourmet Cafe, which has indicated a plan to grow to about 55 stores over four to five years.

Company profile

Item	Details
Legal name	The Cheesecake Factory Bakery (India operations)
India store opening	February 23, 2026
First store	Bengaluru (Phoenix Mall of Asia)
Operating partner	The Gourmet Cafe
Planned number of stores	About 55 stores over four to five years (a target on The Gourmet Cafe side. Investment of about 60 million dollars)
Revenue target	₹200-250 crore (The Gourmet Cafe's target)
Store format	Mainly 800-1,200 square-foot QSR/kiosk formats

The local company, not the parent, bears the risk

When US restaurant brands enter India, it's typical for the parent not to enter directly but to hand a master franchise to a local company. In this deal too, The Gourmet Cafe bears the funding and store-opening risk.

The Gourmet Cafe has set targets of about 55 stores, an investment of about $60 million, and revenue of ₹200-250 crore over the next 4-5 years. It has laid out a sequence of growing first within Bengaluru and then expanding to Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

Stores are mainly 800-1,200 square-foot QSR/kiosk formats, not full-service restaurants. In the US, The Cheesecake Factory is a sit-down dining format with large stores, but in India it has brought in only the bakery division, starting with small takeaway-and-eat-in stores.

Constraints on making cheesecake in India

The lineup centers on various cheesecakes, alongside cakes, pastries, and baked goods. Some items, however, cannot be brought over from the US recipe as-is. Using gelatin of animal origin classifies a product as non-vegetarian (marked with a brown symbol) under India's labeling rules, cutting out the entire vegetarian segment. The decision to switch to agar or plant-based gelling agents becomes necessary.

Eggs are also an issue. Many people in India don't consider eggs vegetarian, and an "eggless" label determines how much shelf space a product can get. Cakes normally use eggs, but many stores in India carry a separate eggless formulation.

Whether the brand can reproduce the same texture and appearance as in the US despite these ingredient constraints will decide whether it can succeed in India.

Points for Japanese companies

This can be seen as the latest model for a foreign confectionery or bakery brand entering India: the parent supplies the brand and recipes, and a local company puts up the funding and stores. This model is also a realistic option for Japanese restaurant and confectionery businesses entering India.

Alongside this, the plan needs to account for the fact that ingredient substitutions are unavoidable. Gelatin, eggs, alcohol, and animal fats all face constraints, whether in labeling or sourcing. Rather than simply porting the recipe, it is worth budgeting the time and cost for prototyping on the assumption that it will need to be rebuilt.