Global restaurant brand California Pizza Kitchen announced the opening of its first restaurant in Australia, located at the landmark Hillarys Boat Harbour in Perth. Operated by franchisee California Pizza Kitchen Australia, the 370-seat, 9,500-square foot restaurant—the world’s largest CPK—officially opened its doors to the public yesterday and offers Australians CPK’s elevated casual dining experience, innovative menu and best-in-class hospitality served in a fun and relaxed setting. The location is the first of an initial three restaurants planned for Perth and follows recent openings in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Dubai, Mexico, and Los Angeles International Airport as CPK continues its impressive global growth this year.
“The grand opening of our first restaurant in Australia marks an exciting and important milestone for California Pizza Kitchen as we accelerate our growth around the world,” says G.J. Hart, executive chairman and CEO at California Pizza Kitchen. “With its vibrant culture and sophisticated dining scene, Perth is the perfect place to introduce the Australian market to the creative, elevated casual dining experience that we offer. We are proud to be working with California Pizza Kitchen Australia’s accomplished franchise team to help us establish our footprint in Australia’s western capital and to becoming an active part of the community in Perth.”
Peter Peard, Perth-based businessman and founder and CEO of Peard Real Estate, leads franchisee CPK Australia with partners Russell Hextall and Hannah Peard. CPK Australia intends to franchise two additional restaurants in the Perth area within the next three years, with an opportunity to expand nationally in five years.
Originating in Beverly Hills, California, in 1985, California Pizza Kitchen quickly built a worldwide following for its innovative, first-to-market California cuisine and signature hand-tossed pizzas, like the iconic Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and Thai Chicken Pizza, creative salads, pastas and unique main plates, prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
“California Pizza Kitchen fills a gap in the Australian market for a high-quality yet affordable casual dining experience and is a perfect fit for Aussies who connect with the brand’s ‘California vibe’ and embrace its focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared in an imaginative way,” Peard says. “We look forward to welcoming our Perth guests in to experience the creative menu and outstanding hospitality that define California Pizza Kitchen and to earning a loyal following that sets the stage for CPK’s growth in Australia.”
With the opening in Perth, CPK’s global franchise footprint has now reached 83 units in 16 countries around the world. Its largest international markets are Mexico (22 restaurants), South Korea (9 restaurants), Philippines (7 restaurants) and India (6 restaurants). In the U.S. CPK owns and operates approximately 200 restaurant locations and counting.
“In the past five years we have doubled our international footprint, expanding into new markets including Chile, China, Saudi Arabia and now Australia, and continuing our growth in South Korea, the Philippines, India, Hong Kong, UAE and Mexico,” adds Rudy Sugueti, SVP of global development and operations & executive director at California Pizza Kitchen. “In fact, we’ve achieved more than 60 percent of that growth in the past 24 months alone. But, we’re not stopping there. We currently have signed agreements to open 70 new restaurants globally in the next five years with a focus on South and Central America, Canada, Europe and Scandinavia, Asia and Africa as our prime growth markets.”
CPK Perth’s menu features innovative food and beverage items and rotating seasonal dishes prepared fresh from scratch every day from the highest quality ingredients. Alongside classic CPK favorites, the restaurant also offers several new items incorporating regional flavor profiles. Menu highlights include:
Artisan hand-tossed pizzas, like the iconic Original BBQ Chicken Pizza CPK invented in 1985 featuring BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda, red onions and fresh coriander, the Thai Chicken Pizza made with grilled chicken breast with peanut sauce topped with crisp bean sprouts, julienned carrots and slivered spring onions, and many more
Shareable small plates, including Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower, Dynamite Prawns, and unique flatbreads
Creative salads, like the Original BBQ Chicken Chopped with BBQ chicken, black beans, sweet corn and crispy tortilla strips and Poke Chop Chop featuring fresh Ahi tuna served over baby bok choy greens, spicy Kimchi pears and fresh rocket, tossed in housemade black sesame vinaigrette
Unique main plates, including Sesame-Seared Ahi, a Fire Grilled Ribeye finished with Cabernet sea salt, Fire Grilled local Pork Chop with caramelized onions and charred broccolini and Roasted Garlic Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables
Lunch Duos, deliciously quick and convenient lunch-size pairings of pizzas, sandwiches, soups and salads, with more than 30 combinations to choose from
Hand-crafted cocktails made with premium spirits, fresh fruit purees and herbs
Premium wines and regional brews
Modern design showcases CPK’s new look with rustic elements, local accents
