From a legendary California pizza to a global brand, with Giorgio Minardi of California Pizza Kitchen

If there is one thing the world can agree on, it’s our love for pizza. The overall market size of the pizza restaurant industry in the U.S. topped over $55bn in 2021, making pizza franchises a lucrative business opportunity. But how do you ensure that you stand out from the crowd when the pizza market is only getting further saturated? 

Combining unexpected flavors and high-quality ingredients, as well as doing things differently certainly helps. At least that’s the stance for California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). Having launched in Beverly Hills in 1985, CPK offers California-style pizza with a passion for combining fresh, seasonal ingredients with flavor inspirations from across the globe. CPK operates nearly 200 restaurants worldwide and at the end of 2021, the company even launched its first domestic franchising program. 

To learn more about the growth of CPK, we wanted to catch up with Giorgio Minardi, executive VP of global development and franchise operations at the company. Having occupied executive roles at a number of international brands, Giorgio brings more than 35 years of business experience to CPK. 

Join us as we learn more about the origins of CPK, its values, and how Giorgio is leading the charge when it comes to CPK’s domestic expansion. 

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This episode of the Global Franchise Podcast is brought to you by Unleashed Brands, the world’s first youth enrichment franchise platform helping kids learn, play, and grow. For more information about the platform and franchise opportunities under Unleashed, head over to www.unleashedbrands.com.