Franchising

California Pizza Kitchen opens restaurant in India

June 7, 2022

California Pizza Kitchen has announced the opening of a franchise location in India. The opening marks CPK's re-entry into India and expansion of its global franchise footprint, according to a press release.

The CPK location is owned and operated by Sanjay Mahtani, co-founder and operator of JSM Corporation Pvt. Ltd., an India-based international restaurant group with more than 15 years of experience. The India location is at Seawoods Grand Central Mall.

"The opening of California Pizza Kitchen in India further propels our California-Forward casual dining concept and makes getting a bite of California possible for more customers around the world," Giorgio Minardi, executive vice president of global and franchise operations, said in the release. "Our strong brand continues to work on an upward growth trajectory, and we are confident that this new location will help fuel our continued success."

Apart from India, other new international deals include locations set to open in Chile, Costa Rica, Alberta, Canada and more. California Pizza Kitchen also launched a domestic franchise program in the United States in December 2021 that is helping to further broaden CPK's franchise program and reach new markets domestically.

"California Pizza Kitchen's strong business model and international recognition made it a natural fit for our team," Mahtani said in the release. "We look forward to bringing the fresh taste of California to our customers nearly halfway around the world."

CPK operates nearly 200 restaurants in eight countries and U.S. territories.