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"FORTUNE &amp;#8212; The Cheesecake Factory is bringing its giant portions, massive menu, and namesake dessert to East Asia.\nToday the company is set to announce a licensing agreement with Hong Kong-based restaurant operator Maxim\u2019s Caterers Limited. Under the terms of the deal, Maxim\u2019s will open a minimum of 14 restaurants over 10 years in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the People\u2019s Republic of China, with the possibility of also entering Japan and South Korea, along with Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand in Southeast Asia.\n\u201CWe have the name recognition, we\u2019ve have had it for years, and it\u2019s just a next step in having The Cheesecake Factory grow into the future,\u201D CEO David Overton says of the company\u2019s international expansion.\nMORE:  5 Ways companies can leverage pop-up stores\nMaxim\u2019s hasn\u2019t identified a site for the region\u2019s first Cheesecake Factory yet but is currently looking in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong. Overton says he is hoping the first will be in Hong Kong.\nThe Cheesecake Factory\u2019s entry into East Asia will mark the third international market for the company. In 2012 it opened in Dubai in the Middle East, which Fortune detailed last year, and is set to launch in Guadalajara, Mexico, in July, which kicks off its Latin American efforts. The order of new markets wasn\u2019t intentional, Overton noted, adding that it was more about finding the right partners. The deal with Maxim\u2019s has been in the works for a year and a half.\nPart of Maxim\u2019s appeal for Overton is the work the company is doing for Starbucks in the region. Overton thought that if Starbucks likes Maxim\u2019s and their coffeehouses are beautiful and well run, the company would be a good candidate. Along with licensing, Maxim\u2019s other operations include running bakeries and large Chinese restaurants.\nMORE:  Success of AT&amp;amp;T-DirecTV deal hinges on rural America\nPartnering internationally is a major shift for the California-based restaurant company. The Cheesecake Factory, which is known for its consistency and attention to detail, owns and operates all of its restaurants in the U.S. At one time Overton believed the chain would never go international because of the concept\u2019s complexities\u2014it has a massive menu. But Overton says that with each of his international partners, he has found the right formula: \u201CThey all replicate concepts versus create concepts,\u201D he says.\nThe Cheesecake Factory doesn\u2019t just hand over the keys to its licensees. Overton and his team are involved in getting new markets off the ground. For all restaurant openings, including those in the U.S., the company sends over a group of designated trainers to get the sites and the staff ready. That practice will continue in East Asia.\nEach market has had a different set of challenges: Supply chain was an issue for the Middle East, while Mexico required making sure the menu\u2019s Mexican food was authentic. In China the menu may require more tweaking, but to start with Maxim\u2019s will stay as true to the original concept as possible and then make changes as necessary. Overton is open to making alterations, such as giving customers the choice of rice instead of fries. \u201CWe\u2019ll see what people ask for and what they want,\u201D he says, \u201Cand if we can accommodate them, we will.\u201D\nMORE:  Europe&amp;#8217;s economy: still in the danger zone\nA potential concern for the Cheesecake Factory in China is its historically low consumption of dairy products, compared to the U.S. and other western markets. But in recent years, demand for dairy has been on the rise, and the company says cheesecake is now a very popular dessert. For Overton the biggest selling point was that Maxim\u2019s felt comfortable starting with the Cheesecake Factory&amp;#8217;s regular menu.\nThe company believes it will translate across the Pacific because of its success in communities with a heavy Asian influence\u2014Hawaii and San Francisco, for example. In these restaurants, customers often eat family style. \u201CIt\u2019s the same in the Middle East,\u201D Overton says. \u201CAlmost all the plates go in the middle of the table.\u201D Overton didn\u2019t design the food to be eaten that way, but the giant portions lend themselves to sharing. \u201CI feel very good that Asia can learn to love The Cheesecake Factory,\u201D he says."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://fortune.com/2014/05/19/the-cheesecake-factory-plans-a-foothold-in-china/>