Latest news with #NorthItalia
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cheesecake Factory reports rise in revenue to $927.2m for Q1 2025
US-based casual dining chain The Cheesecake Factory has announced an increase in total revenue to $927.2m for the fiscal first quarter (Q1) of 2025, up from $891.2m in the previous year's first quarter. The company's net income reached $32.9m and diluted net income per share stood at $0.67. The brand had pre-tax net expense sof $17.3m due to costs including those related to the extinguishment of debt and the Fox Restaurant Concepts acquisition. Excluding certain expenses, adjusted net income and adjusted diluted net income per share for the first quarter stood at $45.7m and $0.93 respectively. The Cheesecake Factory also reported a modest year-on-year increase of 1% in comparable restaurant sales. Chairman and CEO David Overton stated: 'Our first quarter results reflect a strong start to the year as we delivered solid topline revenue, margins and earnings, reflecting continued positive momentum across our business. 'Sales finished towards the higher end of our expectations, led by The Cheesecake Factory restaurants, underscoring the consistent consumer demand for the high-quality, differentiated dining experiences we provide. 'And once again, execution within our restaurants was exceptional, as our operators delivered year-on-year improvements in labour productivity, food efficiency, wage management and retention across both hourly staff and managers, driving strong profit flow-through and margin expansion.' The first quarter saw the addition of eight new restaurants to the company's portfolio, including three Flower Child locations, three North Italia locations and two FRC restaurants. The company plans to launch up to 25 new eateries in 2025, with the portfolio including three to four The Cheesecake Factory outlets, six to seven North Italia and Flower Child locations each, and eight to nine FRC dining spots. In March 2025, The Cheesecake Factory executed a menu overhaul eliminating 13 items and introducing 22 new options, which encompass a variety of appetisers and mocktails. "Cheesecake Factory reports rise in revenue to $927.2m for Q1 2025" was originally created and published by Verdict Food Service, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Trip to Coachella and a Surprise Wedding, Too
Kameron Ross Martinez remembers being 'completely uninterested' when first meeting Emilio Angel Botello at a Labor Day pool party in Dallas in 2019, hosted by Justin Johnson — better known as drag performer Alyssa Edwards from 'RuPaul's Drag Race.' 'Lio was there with his ex biz partner who was also his ex — it was like a hi-bye kind of thing,' Mr. Martinez recalled. Mr. Martinez, a longtime friend of Mr. Johnson, had attended many parties hosted by Alyssa Edwards. Mr. Botello, who goes by Lio, was new to the scene, having met Mr. Johnson after appearing on the Netflix baking competition show 'Sugar Rush' in 2019. Mr. Johnson had asked Mr. Botello to make desserts for the Labor Day party and invited him to attend as well. About a month after the party, on Oct. 13, 2019, Mr. Botello, 36, and Mr. Martinez, 35, crossed paths again. Mr. Martinez was out with Mr. Johnson at Station 4, a gay club in Dallas. This time there was a strong interest for both of them. 'If people could have heart eyes, Kam had them,' Mr. Botello said. 'It was the strangest shift of energy. So, it was my turn to act a little cool about it.' The evening ended with a first kiss and an exchange of phone numbers. When Mr. Martinez reached out about seeing Mr. Botello again on Oct. 14, 2019, 'I was trying to keep everything chill,' Mr. Botello said. 'So, I said, 'I'm going to do laundry,'' and invited Mr. Martinez to hang out while he did. 'We knew nothing about each other,' Mr. Martinez said. 'Something like doing laundry is actually a good way to talk.' [Click here to binge read this week's featured couples.] On Oct. 23, 2019, the two had their first real date, which was dinner at North Italia in Dallas. Three days later, they went to Mr. Johnson's annual Alyssa Edwards Halloween party. 'At the party, he pulled me aside and asked me to be his boyfriend,' Mr. Botello said. Later that evening, they attended an annual Halloween block party in the Oak Lawn neighborhood of Dallas, where Mr. Martinez was living. Five months later, on March 14, 2020, Mr. Martinez — a country singer who performs as Kameron Ross — traveled to Los Angeles to audition for 'America's Got Talent,' with Mr. Botello by his side. 'He got all yes's,' Mr. Botello said. So he was invited to return to Los Angeles that summer. Mr. Botello was with him throughout the six-week journey until Mr. Martinez was eliminated in the quarterfinals. As the pandemic took hold, they returned to Dallas and decided to quarantine together at Mr. Botello's East Dallas apartment. Mr. Martinez moved in officially in October 2020, and a year later they bought a home together in Oak Cliff. Mr. Martinez proposed to Mr. Botello while the two were vacationing in Oaxaca, Mexico, in January 2024. 'It was our friend Josh's 39th birthday,' Mr. Martinez said. 'The only way to surprise him by wrapping it in something else.' The hotel where they were staying was on a cliff with a small beach below. 'Going down the steep steps I see the roses in a heart and candles and I'm smirking like, 'This is so cheesy for a birthday,'' Mr. Botello said. Then he realized, it wasn't for their friend's birthday. It was for him. It suddenly didn't seem so cheesy after all. Mr. Botello, who is from Fort Worth, Texas, is a baker and a senior process support consultant at the insurance company Allstate. After his appearance on 'Sugar Rush,' where he placed second over all, he has been a guest on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show,' 'Good Morning Texas' and 'Texas Today.' Mr. Botello selectively bakes for clients. 'I wait for an order I'm passionate about,' he said. In addition to being a singer, Mr. Martinez, who was born and raised in Houston, Texas, works as a strategic account manager at a technology company focused on the travel industry. Mr. Martinez attended Blinn College in Bryan, Texas. Since they were already going to be in California for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the two decided to get married while there. 'Considering our current political climate, we weren't sure we would always be able to marry,' Mr. Botello said. 'So, we decided to use our time doing what we love to get married.' On April 10, the two were wed at the Riverside California County Courthouse. Peter Aldana, a county clerk, officiated before their three friends, who the couple surprised by getting married that day. 'We asked our friends for their opinions on our 'Coachella outfits' the night before. It was our 'Just Married shirts,'' Mr. Botello said. 'It took them a second to get it. When they asked when we did it, we told them we were going to the next day.' After the ceremony, the group had lunch at the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage. 'I felt at peace,' Mr. Botello said. 'In all the chaos we experience right now, this day felt right.'
Miami Herald
10-03-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Health-focused chain restaurant is coming to Florida. What to know about location, menu
A new health-focused restaurant is coming to Florida. Flower Child is planning to open a fast-casual restaurant on the Gulf Coast in Lakewood Ranch near Bradenton and Sarasota. The 3,500-square-foot restaurant is part of Phoenix-based Fox Restaurant Concepts, with 40 locations in 14 states. The Lakewood Ranch location marks the first Flower Child in Florida. 'We've been looking for the right opportunity to bring Flower Child to Florida, and Sarasota is the perfect place to introduce one of our most popular restaurant concepts,' Flower Child founder Sam Fox said in a statement. 'With its focus on wellness, active living, and a strong sense of community, we can't wait to be part of this incredible city and provide a space where people can gather and enjoy wholesome, flavorful meals.' Flower Child features a made-from-scratch menu catering to dietary preferences such as vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and paleo. Favorite dishes include bowls, gluten-free mac and an avocado wrap. Protein options of chicken, steak, salmon, shrimp or tofu can be added to bowls and salads, or chosen as a main item with a choice of two sides. Fox, who is an 11-time James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur, opened his first restaurant in Arizona in the 1990s. He created more than 20 brands to date, including Flower Child. Fox sold Flower Child, along with North Italia, to the Cheesecake Factory for $308 million in 2019, Forbes reported. Now the restaurant, with its 'healthy food for a happy world,' tagline is less than two months from opening its first Florida restaurant. For more information about Flower Child and to view the restaurant's full menu, visit
