Those corporate strategists knew exactly what they were doing. After their most recent ventures--West Palm Beach, FL and Schaumburg, IL--they decided to set up shop in similarly suburbanish Seattle. (A Bellevue location is due in December.)

"Seattle is our 43rd location," says Howard Gordon, vice president of business and marketing for the Cheesecake Factory. "We feel there's room for at least another 100 throughout the U.S., if not more."

Since the powerhouse opened on Seventh and Pike this July, Seattleites have been clamoring for it. Have you seen the insane lines? Even on a recent post-WTC Friday night, despite the nervous buzz of war and anthrax, groups of diners were waiting in clusters, the line eagerly spilling out into the street.

Before you dismiss the Cheesecake Factory as just a big dairy-centric T.G.I. Friday's, consider that this chain restaurant--with its huge portions, signature desserts, and lucrative suburban locations--is, like it or not, EXACTLY what Seattle has been longing for (albeit shamefully, at the risk of revealing our demand for suburban pleasures).

For many, the Factory serves as a downtown antidote to the late-'90s/2000 tidal wave of ambitious chi-chi restaurants. So, before we growl about yet another corporate giant "taking over," we need to apply an honest analysis to Seattle's identity crisis/ego blow in the wake of our e-failures. There's a reason the Cheesecake Factory will do well here--and that reason is less about evil big-business tactics and more about Seattle's consumers. With a bleak local economy throughout 2001, especially post-September 11, extravagant "entertainment" spending is way down. Sure, we love to support innovative indie chefs and their organic produce; but can we resist mammoth food at gentle prices during unstable times?

As many local upscale restaurants struggle to stay afloat, the Cheesecake Factory continues to pack 'em in.

min@thestranger.com