The West Coast Burger is a blend of wagyu, brisket, and chuck roast, according to the press release. The toppings lineup is stacked, including applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onion, and melted cheese. California Pizza Kitchen has been cannonballing into the world of avante-garde menu items lately. In April, CPK announced a lineup of other non-pizza offerings, including Wild Mushroom and Brie Soup and Baja Crunch salad, per Businesswire. Doesn’t sound like something you’d order at a pizza joint? That’s kind of the point, says Scott Hargrove, the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer. Hargrove says in the recent press release that CPK is trying to “spotlight” its more unexpected menu items, like the Catalina Chicken Sandwich with goat cheese, or the California Caprese Sandwich with lemon herb vinaigrette.
In addition to the new burger, CPK is enjoying another 35-year first: a domestic franchise program. As of January 2022, CPK only had restaurants in 27 U.S. states, via FSR – a statistic the chain is looking to remedy by whatever means necessary. In the past, says Giorgio Minardi, executive vice president of global development and franchise operations, CPK was set on building 4,800 square-foot restaurants. Now, Minardi says the company will be keeping its options open and expanding to kiosks and “express models” to bring CPK to malls, airports, stadiums, universities, and more. Within the next decade, it plans to open at least 300 total stores around the world. (Hope you’re hungry.)
