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By Craig Patterson

Beverly Hills-based California Pizza Kitchen is expanding its operations into Canada as it looks to gain a foothold in the already crowded Canadian market. The company, partnered with an Alberta-based restaurateur and the first California Pizza Kitchen location, will open in Edmonton amid plans to expand into other provinces in the coming years with multiple franchise partners.

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Many Canadians are already familiar with the California Pizza kitchen chain, which was founded in 1985 and now operates more than 240 restaurants in 10 countries and US territories. The chain is known for its signature hand-tossed pizzas and other ‘main plates’ as well as wines and other beverages. The chain positions itself as being upscale while also accessible.

For the Canadian launch, California Pizza Kitchen partnered with Alberta-based restaurateur Samira Shariff, who, over the past 40 years, has built various successful restaurant brands in Alberta as a multi-unit franchise owner and operator in Edmonton. Ms. Sharif’s son Naheed has more than 25 years of experience in restaurant franchising and will serve as CEO of California Pizza Kitchen’s Alberta footprint.

*photo: california pizza kitchen facebook*

The first Canadian location for California Pizza Kitchen will be in Edmonton, which will open several months from now, according to the company. It will be the first of five planned locations for California Pizza Kitchen in the Province of Alberta, with the four other locations set to be rolled out over the next eight years.

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As part of a national expansion, California Pizza Kitchen will also look to expand beyond Alberta into markets such as British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. That includes targeting metropolitan regions of Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. California Pizza Kitchen says that it will be seeking out qualified partners in those markets who bring expertise to the operations as more restaurant locations are rolled-out as part of the Canadian growth plan, and that other markets are a possibility as well.

In terms of site selection, the company says that the California Pizza Kitchen concept “fits well in a variety of formats”. That includes locations in lifestyle centres and standalone locations, with flexibility to look to other options depending on what works best for the brand. As shopping centre landlords look to add full-sized restaurants to properties, major malls could also become home to California Pizza Kitchen locations.

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CPK tonight? Great caul 😉 Tell us, have you tried our cauliflower crust yet? 👇

A post shared by California Pizza Kitchen (@cpk) on Jan 30, 2020 at 5:18pm PST

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🎶 Pear + Gorgonzola roasting on an open fire 🎶 Wishing you a joyful holiday season full of love (and pizza) from all of us at CPK! 💛🌴

A post shared by California Pizza Kitchen (@cpk) on Dec 24, 2019 at 4:04pm PST

Of the 240 California Pizza locations globally, 40 of them are franchised and in the United States, 16 franchised storefronts are located in airports, casinos, and stadiums.

When asked about a targeted number of California Pizza Kitchen locations in Canada, a company representative said it was too soon to provide a definitive answer.

California Pizza Kitchen’s menu includes numerous innovations. The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza is a huge seller, according to the company, which also launched a vegetable-powered Cauliflower Pizza Crust which has become popular.

*photo: california pizza kitchen linkedin*

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“At California Pizza Kitchen, we take great pride in sharing our passion for California-style pizza, fresh and creative ingredients and best-in-class hospitality with our guests around the world,” said Jim Hyatt, CEO of California Pizza Kitchen. “We’ve had our sights set on expanding into Canada for many years now, to bring California Pizza Kitchen a little closer to home for all of our Canadian guests who’ve become loyal regulars at so many of our U.S. locations, whether joining us on vacation or business travel. Now, we’re confident we have the right, deeply experienced partner in Samira Shariff to spearhead our entry into the market.”

Naheed Shariff said, “Every time we’ve visited the U.S. over the years, our family has always made a point of eating at California Pizza Kitchen. What we admire about the brand is its continuous evolution, forward thinking with modern tastes, from experimenting with new flavours and ingredients, to being leaders in better-for-you options, such as gluten-free and veggie-based Cauliflower Pizza Crust. We think California Pizza Kitchen’s creative California vibe and innovative menu will resonate with Albertans and offer something completely new in the market.”

Now located in Toronto, Craig is a retail analyst and consultant at the Retail Council of Canada. He's also the Director of Applied Research at the University of Alberta School of Retailing in Edmonton. He has studied the Canadian retail landscape for the past 25 years and he holds Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws Degrees. He is also President & CEO of Vancouver-based Retail Insider Media Ltd. Email Craig: craig@retail-insider.com

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