On March 27, 1985, attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax traded in the courtroom for the dining room. Having always wanted to get into the restaurant business, they pitched their legal pads to serve hearth-baked pizzas. They introduced flavors and tastes from around the world, from Thai to Jamaican Jerk…all on a pizza. All of our innovative pizzas are creatively designed on a delicious crust, and hearth-baked to perfection. Also served are distinctive pastas, salads, soups, appetizers and desserts, including our Chicken-Tequila Fettucine, BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, Tortilla Spring Rolls and Key Lime Pie.
Now, California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is a leader in authentic California-style cuisine with a recognized consumer brand and an established, loyal customer base. Of the chain’s over 250 restaurants, over 200 are company-owned and nearly 50 operate under franchise or license agreements. There are 25 CPK ASAP locations, 9 of which are company-owned and 16 of which are franchised. Another company-owned concept is LA Food Show Grill & Bar, of which there are two locations, in Manhattan Beach, CA and in Beverly Hills, CA. CPK's strong brand awareness has been developed primarily through full service restaurants, and through the expansion of our high quality fast-casual concept called the CPK/ASAP. These CPK/ASAP restaurants are significantly smaller than our full service restaurants and offer a limited selection of only the most popular pizzas, salads, sandwiches and appetizers. California Pizza Kitchen also has a strategic alliance with Kraft Pizza Company, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods Inc., to distribute a line of premium frozen pizzas through supermarkets and other retail outlets.
