FOOD NEWS
The Controversial Origins Of The Cheesecake Factory's Brown Bread
By Stacie Adams
The Cheesecake Factory is a restaurant known for its eclectic styling and insanely extensive menu. One of their most popular menu items is actually one that, despite being far from one of their more extravagant selections, is served for free — their brown bread — and while it’s quite the crowd pleaser, the same can’t be said for its original name.
While it’s typically referred to as “brown bread,” it was inspired by German "squaw bread," which itself was based on a Native American bread recipe. Derived from the Algonquian people, “squaw” originally meant woman, but eventually evolved into an ugly, offensive slur that also garners offense when associated with food products.
In 2021, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, motioned to get the word removed from all Federal lands. While it's hard to avoid controversy when it comes to public opinion, upholding customers' requests to retain their dignity and self-respect through language is always the right move.