When the Cheesecake Factory opens its seventh restaurant in New Jersey on July 18 at The Mall at Short Hills, it will have many new employees and a 10,000-square-foot dining room that seats up to 277 guests.

That’s good news for cheesecake fans in the area, who’ve been waiting for the opening.

It’s also good news for many who were looking for work, since the restaurant “has brought a total of 279 new jobs to the Short Hills area,” said Christie Stewart, a Cheesecake Factory spokewoman.

Beginning July 18, The Cheesecake Factory at The Mall at Short Hills will be open the following hours: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

There will be a sneak peak invitation only behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant next week, but if you’re a Cheesecake Factory Twitter follower, you can enter a contest to win a pass to the pre-opening training meal.

According to a Cheesecake Factory tweet from Wednesday, “We r opening in Short Hills,NJ 7/18 & r giving away 4 invites 2r invite-only PreOpening TrainingMeals 7/14&15! RT &follow by 7/8 4chance 2go.”

For those who need help deciphering tweet-speak, the Cheesecake Factory will give away four invitations to the invitation-only pre-opening preview on July 14 and 15. You have to follow the Cheesecake Factory on Twitter and re-tweet that tweet by Friday, July 8, in order to be eligible for the contest.

The training includes a series of meals that are being served to more than 1,300 specially invited guests on Thursday, July 14, and Friday, July 15. 

According to Stewart, the pre-opening process allows the restaurant’s new staff members the opportunity to prepare for the official grand opening on Monday, July 18 at 11 a.m.

The Cheesecake Factory at The Mall at Short Hills will join the 150 other Cheesecake Factories in the United States that offer more than 70 varieties of cheesecake, as well as full menu of lunch and dinner items.

Hungry yet?