Free Cheesecake Day Sparks Chaos in Clarendon

The Cheesecake Factory offered free slices of cheesecake on Wednesday, and the feverish response got out-of-hand in Arlington, with one man arrested. 

Arlington County Police responded to the Clarendon location of the national chain, in the 2900 block of Clarendon Boulevard, after 1 p.m. after receiving reports of a crowd and double-parked cars. 

According to police, a crowd formed inside the restaurant as customers and delivery drivers for the food delivery service DoorDash clamored to pick up orders.

@DoorDash @ARLnowDOTcom@Cheesecake @washingtonpost@dcexaminer avoid this place like a plague. Over 2hrs wait to pickup a free 🧀🍰. Fight broke out,ppl getting ticketed n arrested. Of course ppl got impatient after a long time. Very disorganized n total chaos. pic.twitter.com/uJznxDHg23

— p p (@pat_patsy_cake) December 5, 2018

Police said a customer was asked to leave but refused, prompting police to try to physically remove him from the restaurant. A struggle ensued, and the man was taken into custody. He was taken to a hospital for observation. 

The man, who police did not immediately identify, will be charged with disorderly conduct.

A post on social media showed the scene inside the restaurant. 

Meet Merle, The Maryland Zoo's Newest Gazelle

At about 1 p.m., police received a dispatch for a fight in progress at the restaurant, ARLnow.com reported. Officers did not find a fight when they arrived.

The Cheesecake Factory announced they would give away 40,000 free slices of cheesecake on Wednesday when customers ordered through the DoorDash app. The delivery fee was waived.