California Pizza Kitchen Named #1 Most Recommended Casual Dining Chain

By: California Closets | 1,021 Shares 125 Reads

New Recommendation Index(SM) Study Identifies Brands Most Recommended by U.S. Consumers

LOS ANGELES (BUSINESS WIRE) -- California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (CPK) (NASDAQ: CPKI), a leading casual dining chain featuring an imaginative line of hearth-baked pizzas, was recently named the "#1 Most Recommended Casual Dining Chain" restaurant in a newly created Recommendation Index research study. The Recommendation Index, introduced by marketing firms Zocalo Group and M/A/R/C(R) Research, was compiled after surveying more than 1,000 frequent casual dining customers in the United States about which brands they most often recommended positively and negatively, and the specific attributes they look for when making their recommendations. Online conversations occurring organically on Twitter, blogs, forums, video sites, and other discussion venues were also examined and included in the overall analysis.

"We are honored to be recognized and chosen as the most recommended casual dining brand by consumers in the United States," said Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield, CO-CEO's of California Pizza Kitchen. "It is our goal to provide exceptional customer service, great food and a comfortable dining experience at an affordable cost. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff in-house and team members out on the field, as well as the loyalty of our guests. We extend our gratitude and appreciation to all of our customers who continue to make CPK a regular dining destination."

California Pizza Kitchen led the Casual Dining Restaurant (CDR) Category with an Index score of 4.57, which represents the number of people positively recommending the brand for every one person with a negative recommendation. The average Index score in the CDR Category is 3.01.

About California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.

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 253 restaurants, 207 are company-owned and 46 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 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.

###