First California Pizza Kitchen Opens in Canada
LOS ANGELES — California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has broken ground in Edmonton, Alta, bringing its California-style pizzas, pastas, salads and more to Canada for the first time alongside Alberta restaurateurs, Samira and Naheed Shariff.
CPK is located in the Currents of Windermere shopping centre, and it’s the first of many locations planned in the province over the next eight years. The 4,500-sq.-ft. indoor space and 1,800-sq.-ft. heated patio space can seat up to 225 people. Signature menu items include the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza, the California Club Pizza and the Thai Crunch Salad.
“Expanding our franchise operations now beyond the U.S. is a top priority for CPK and affirms our broader strategy for long-term growth in our international markets,” says Giorgio Minardi, executive vice-president of Global Development & Franchise Operations at CPK. “Since announcing the partnership in 2020, our excitement continues to grow for the Alberta market and we have every confidence in Naheed and Samira to deliver an excellent guest experience beginning with Edmonton. While Alberta will be the first province to see the CPK brand open a restaurant, we look forward to selecting the right franchisees to bring our ‘California Creativity’ to other provinces in Canada.”
CPK also plans to open restaurants in additional markets, including Vancouver and Toronto.
