California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), the creator of California-style pizza, announced the opening of a new franchise location at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The opening marks the brand’s second location within the airport as CPK continues to expand across U.S. markets. Located within Terminal 6 at LAX, the new restaurant is owned and operated by Greg Plummer, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Concord Collective, a minority-owned airport concession operator.
“We are thrilled to partner with Concord Collective to provide a fresh, healthy, alternative dining option for the most discerning travelers,” said Giorgio Minardi, Executive Vice President of Global and Franchise Operations for CPK. “Greg Plummer and his stellar team have a strong background in creating rich hospitality experiences at LAX, and they share in our commitment to bring the brand’s signature California-inspired cuisine to travelers who pass through Terminal 6 at LAX from all over the world.”
CPK’s new LAX location will provide guests with the full-service “California Casual” dining experience they have come to expect at all the brand’s locations. The menu will feature a range of classic CPK dishes including hearth-baked pizzas – such as The Original BBQ Chicken, Thai Chicken, and California Club, – inventive salads, and crave-worthy pastas. The menu will also carry several new California-inspired breakfast items for travelers looking to fuel the start of their day.
The new CPK at LAX builds on an already strong year for the brand, which expanded into Canada for the first time in August with the opening of its new Edmonton location and opened in Santiago International Airport early last month. New operators continue to be drawn to its attractive franchise model as additional CPK locations in Costa Rica and India are scheduled to open later this year.
“California Pizza Kitchen’s innovative business model, iconic cuisine, and hometown name recognition made it a perfect fit to add to our portfolio of brands at LAX,” said Plummer. “We know CPK will be a welcomed and popular option for airport travelers in Los Angeles seeking a convenient choice when they fly.”
Plummer began his career in restaurant management at LAX in 2005. He and his Los Angeles-based team at Concord Collective recently made history at LAX with the recent acquisition of SSP America’s LAX businesses, making the company the first Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) business to take over the entire portfolio of a major food and beverage concession operator. Together, the joint venture partners currently operate eight food and beverage outlets for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports (URW), the prime commercial developer and manager at LAX.
“CPK with its fresh and healthy offerings is a perfect fit for our guests in Terminal 6,” said Maral Matossian, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) General Manager, LAX. “We are excited to welcome another Concord Collective restaurant and are thrilled to see this ACDBE business continue to grow. It’s a win for our guests and a win for our community.”
California Pizza Kitchen provides franchisees flexibility with customizable menus, design layouts, and multiple daypart offerings so that each location can individually align with consumer needs and thrive within their market. These key differentiators, along with a very high average unit volume, have positioned the brand as an attractive investment by experienced multi-unit franchisees. California Pizza Kitchen prioritizes catering to franchisees’ needs, providing them with the tools and resources required, including expanding technology and mobile capabilities for each location, best-in-class training, and development in all areas of the business.
To learn more about franchise development opportunities and available markets with California Pizza Kitchen, visit www.cpk.com/franchise.
