Reader T is wondering why the Cheesecake Factory’s kitchen is being run by a drill sergeant. He says his meal was ruined by the “unrelenting, verbal assaults” that were wafting from the open kitchen into the dining room where he and the restaurant’s other customers were trying to eat.

T writes:

I wrote a letter to the Cheesecake Factory HQ and it basically tells the story of a miserable experience at the Cheesecake Factory in Columbus, Ohio and here is a copy of it:

My wife and I were using a gift card that was given to us at your Cheesecake Factory Fine Dining Restaurant. The food was superb.

There was one major annoyance that several customers including our party had to endure. It was the drill-sgt that you placed in the kitchen which isn’t separated from the rest of restaurant. This person attacked the cooks with such acrimony it made me sick. Continuous, unrelenting, verbal assaults. Other patrons were standing up wondering what was all the yelling about. I finally went over and told him to “Shut up, there are people trying to eat”. Only after that, could I actually hear my wife talking when she was only sitting arm’s length. A lady came to our table and apologized, but I come to find out that this belligerent brow-beating is normal protocol and it wasn’t a one time occurrence. I got word from several of your people as we were making our way out of your restaurant that they had been waiting for a customer to finally speak up as I did. They thanked me. How can you continue to offer a fine dining experience? You need to do something about your restaurant because if I were you, I would be embarrassed. My wife and I eat out when we can and our first impression of the Cheesecake Factory was terrible to say the least.

Sincerely,
T

What I want to know is are all Cheesecake Factories like the one we have? Management must of known about this Drill Sgt., how could they not? It was a disaster dining experience. I don’t expect to hear anything back from the Cheesecake Factory people after getting an empty apology from management.

Well, we’ve only been to the Cheesecake Factory once, but we didn’t notice Sergeant Hulka running the kitchen. What gives?

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.