Car smashes into Cheesecake Factory in Pasadena, injuring driver

A car smashed through the storefront window of the Cheesecake Factory in Old Town Pasadena on Tuesday morning after a collision at a nearby intersection, authorities said.

The two-car crash near Fair Oaks Avenue and Colorado Boulevard sent a sedan careening into the storefront of the restaurant at 6 a.m., causing structural damage to the building, said Pasadena police Lt. Bill Grisafe.

A photo taken by the Pasadena Fire Department showed the rear of a dark-colored vehicle thrust into the front of the building, with a window frame and the eatery’s front door hanging askew and shattered glass littering the sidewalk. The car’s undercarriage was perched atop a low wall and its back wheel was lifted off the ground. The driver’s side front and rear doors were crushed, and a nearby lamp post appeared to have been damaged by the impact.

The female driver of the car that rammed into the storefront was transported to a hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, officials said, and the female driver of the other car was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

There were workers inside the restaurant prepping for the day at the time of the crash, but they were not injured, authorities said.

The early-morning collision occurred at a busy intersection in the heart of Pasadena’s touristy Old Town district.

Later in the day, when businesses open, there are typically pedestrians walking in the area and diners waiting for tables at the Cheesecake Factory, said Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena.

“Fortunately, there were no significant injuries as a result of what could have been a lot worse situation,” Derderian said.

City officials evaluated the damaged building’s structural integrity after the crash. Repairs will likely be needed, and it was not clear whether the restaurant would be able to immediately open, Derderian said.

The Pasadena Cheesecake Factory has been the site of other mayhem. In 2017, a homemade explosive device was detonated inside the crowded restaurant on a Thursday night. Two days later, a BMW crashed into the building in a similar collision to Tuesday’s.