LOS ANGELES -- Research released by California Pizza Kitchen indicates that keeping a watchful eye on the pizza preferences of family, friends and coworkers may provide insights into their personalities.
According to a news release, California Pizza Kitchen (Nasdaq:CPKI) sponsored a national survey of 1,000 Americans over the age of 18 conducted by Schapiro Research Group in Atlanta.
"The research revealed that Americans' pizza choices seem to be a good indicator of overall personality, including politics, dream jobs and a variety of preferences in our personal lives," said Larry Flax, co-chairman and co-CEO of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). "For example, the biggest pizza fans in America -- those who eat the whole pie when they order it -- would love to share a slice with David Letterman," Flax said.
"The findings from the national pizza survey statistically demonstrate that you can identify distinct pizza personality traits and behaviors of Americans simply by the kind of pizza they prefer and what they like to put on it," said Beth Schapiro, Ph.D., principal of Schapiro Research Group, Inc. "When it comes to pizza, the phrase 'you are what you eat,' is really true."
The research reveals three distinct "pizza personality profiles" for consumers who prefer "California-style" pizza, "New York-style" pizza or deep dish "Chicago-style" pizza:
"California-style" Pizza Personality Profile
California-style pizza lovers ...
* Are most likely to choose these pizza toppings: garlic and shrimp, BBQ chicken and Thai
* Preferred pizza seasonings: oregano and Parmesan cheese
* Celebrities they would like to eat pizza with: Madonna or David Letterman
* Prefer action-adventure movies
* More likely to be found reading the New York Times
* Dream jobs include: book editor/author
* In high school: the rebel
* Likely political party affiliation: Democrat
New York-style pizza lovers ...
* Most likely to choose these pizza toppings: traditional meats like sausage and pepperoni
* Preferred pizza seasonings: nothing extra
* Celebrities they would like to eat pizza with: Oprah Winfrey or President Bush
* Preferred type of movie: action-adventure or comedy
* More likely to be found reading: People, New York Times
* Dream jobs include: stay-at-home parent
* In high school: the brainiac
* Likely political party affiliation: equally divided
Deep Dish Chicago-style pizza lovers ...
* Most likely to choose these pizza toppings: traditional meats like sausage and pepperoni
* Preferred pizza seasonings: nothing extra
* Celebrities they would like to eat pizza with: Denzel Washington
* Preferred type of movie: action-adventure, comedy or drama
* More likely to be found reading: USA Today
* Dream jobs include: sports star
* In high school: the jock
* Likely political party affiliation: Republican
"We have always known that our guests at California Pizza Kitchen tend to be more creative and adventuresome, and this research confirms that. But we wanted to test the idea of distinct pizza personalities, and that is where the real surprise is," said Flax.
