A TikTok creator named Kiara Gonzalez opened her Cheesecake Factory takeout box on camera in late September, only to find a cheesecake slice she clearly wasn’t happy with. She tagged the chain in the caption with a simple request: “Can I speak with a manager?”
The TikTok has racked up nearly 1 million views. Gonzalez, based in Florida, tilts the container toward the camera and points at the dessert. The slice looks narrow, and the whipped cream fills a good part of the box. She says, “Look at this tiny, look at this thin, tiny slice of cheesecake.”
“Where is the rest of it?” she asks. She then says things used to be different. “They used to cut big, thick, healthy slices like, this is criminal,” she says. A moment later she repeats, “This is criminal.”
Was the cheesecake getting smaller?
Gonzalez also seems to expect pushback. “I mean, I’m not trying to be greedy, but this is the thinnest slice of cheesecake they ever have cut me,” she says. “They used to be like really thick, big chunks.”
The $14 price was confirmed in the comments. One commenter, Jenni, replied, “And that cost you $14 too. I’d be pissed too girl!” Gonzalez responded, “Yessss Jenni!!!” confirming the price. For Gonzalez, the problem wasn’t just the size of the slice. It was getting that portion for $14.
That’s where shrinkflation comes in. You pay the same, but there’s less of what you ordered. Delish covered a June 2025 Reddit thread in which Cheesecake Factory customers complained that their slices had gotten smaller, with some saying they were about half the size they remembered. The outlet noted that some diners disagreed, pointing to differences in location or cake type.
The same concern came up with LongHorn Steakhouse’s kids’ sirloin, after customers questioned a reported reduction in its size. Gonzalez’s complaint is based on her recollection that Cheesecake Factory slices used to be considerably thicker and larger.
A later r/CheesecakeFactory post, titled “What in shrinkflation is this,” drew hundreds of votes. Some commenters identifying themselves as current or former employees said uneven cutting could explain some small pieces, while others said they had noticed smaller slices too. One commenter said the cakes are pre-sliced and that pieces that come out too small are supposed to be discarded rather than sold.
People in the comments mostly sided with Gonzalez. One reply with more than 9,500 likes said, “They literally used to be double the size.” Another, with more than 11,000 likes, focused on the toppings. “and they have been putting more whipped cream as if that’s going to distract us.”
Not everyone saw it that way. One commenter said the slice is the “white choc rasp truffle,” a traditional cheesecake without cake layers. “Not all of the cheesecakes are the same size, they come pre sliced and are all the time portions for that specific cheesecake!”
Gonzalez isn’t the only customer to question whether the amount of food matches the price. That same reaction came from one customer who started counting the onion rings in a fast food order after questioning whether the amount he received justified what he paid.
For now, nothing in the video confirms that the chain changed its standard slice. The reports so far describe customer perceptions rather than a company decision. Slice size may also differ by cake type, which makes one clip a hard basis for comparison.
Published: Oct 8, 2026 11:20 am