California Pizza Kitchen Opens in Norcross, Georgia

By: California Pizza Kitchen | 2 Shares 143 Reads

Fundraiser on Monday, May 4, Will Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta

Los Angeles--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (CPK) (Nasdaq:CPKI), home to the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and other innovative hearth-baked pizzas, made-to-order pastas, creative salads, soups, sandwiches and desserts, opened its sixth Atlanta-area restaurant at the Forum on Peachtree Parkway in Norcross, Georgia today.

Over one hundred new employees were hired to work at the 5,000 square foot restaurant, located at 5173 Peachtree Parkway between Medlock Bridge Rd NW and Peachtree Corners Cir NW. Hours of operation will be Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The menu will feature all of the popular favorites along with the newest menu additions including Asparagus Soup, a creamless vegetarian soup garnished with garlic-herb croutons; Four Cheese Ravioli, ravioli with fine herbs, imported Asiago, Mascarpone, Ricotta and Parmesan cheeses sautéed in a creamy Pomodoro sauce with fresh basil; Pesto Chicken Pizza, a Neapolitan Pizza with grilled chicken breast marinated in a basil pesto sauce with mild onions, Mozzarella cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts; Pan-Sautéed Mahi Mahi, lightly seasoned Mahi Mahi served with asparagus & spinach spaghettini or wok-stirred mixed vegetables and Sticky Toffee Pudding, CPK's newest dessert with caramelized pear and roasted pecans, covered in a butter toffee sauce and topped with Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

The new restaurant will also feature an extensive beverage menu from its full bar, including its newest cocktails Harvest Punch, Cherry Lime Sparkler and Cranberry Mint Cooler.

Following CPK's tradition of giving back to the communities in which it operates, the new CPK restaurant will donate 100% of all dine-in pizza sales during regular business hours on Monday, May 4, 2009 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta which operates 30 Clubs in 13 metro counties in addition to Camp Kiwanis and Youth Art Connection, a gallery and workspace for young artists. A trained and professional staff serves more than 17,000 youth annually by offering specialized programming and a safe haven for at-risk and underprivileged children and teens.

The new Norcross location is the sixth California Pizza Kitchen restaurant in metro Atlanta. Other area California Pizza Kitchen locations include Atlantic Station, Perimeter Mall, North Point Mall in Alpharetta, Pine Straw Plaza in Marietta, and CPK's first location outside of California, Lenox Square, which opened in 1987.

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., founded in 1985, is a leading casual dining chain featuring an imaginative line of hearth-baked pizzas, including the original BBQ Chicken Pizza, and a broad selection of distinctive pastas, salads, appetizers, soups, sandwiches and desserts. Of the chain's 251 restaurants, 206 are company-owned and 45 operate under franchise or license agreements. CPK premium pizzas are also available to sports and entertainment fans at two Southern California venues, Angel Stadium of Anaheim and STAPLES Center. Also included in the company's portfolio of concepts is LA Food Show Grill & Bar, which has locations in Manhattan Beach and Beverly Hills, California. The company also has a licensing arrangement with Kraft Pizza Company, which manufactures and distributes a line of California Pizza Kitchen premium frozen pizzas.

Source: California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.

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