Cheesecake taps Rare veteran Benn as CFO

Nation's Restaurant News, Feb 2, 2009

CALABASAS HILLS, CALIF. -- The Cheesecake Factory Inc., named W. Douglas Benn executive vice president and chief financial officer. Benn most recently was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Rare Hospitality International, which was parent to the LongHorn Steakhouse and The Capital Grille concepts before the brands were sold to Darden Restaurants in 2007. He succeeds former senior vice president and chief financial officer Michael Dixon, who left The Cheesecake Factory in July 2008 and shortly after was named! chief financial officer of the Los Angeles-based Pinkberry frozen-yogurt chain. Based here, The Cheesecake Factory Inc. operates 159 restaurants under its namesake brand, as well as the Grand Lux Cafe and RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen brands.

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