California Pizza Kitchen started in 1985 in which California city?

California Pizza Kitchen started in 1985 in Beverly Hills, California.

The chain was founded by attorneys Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield, who opened the first restaurant on Beverly Drive. Their launch helped turn California-style pizza into a nationally recognizable restaurant concept, combining a crisp crust with ingredients and flavor combinations less typical of traditional pizzerias.

The original menu was developed with help from chef Ed LaDou, then associated with Wolfgang Puck’s Spago. One of the restaurant’s signature creations was BBQ Chicken Pizza, which helped distinguish the brand from conventional pepperoni-and-cheese chains. Actress Shirley MacLaine was reportedly the first customer at the original location.

Beverly Hills is sometimes confused with Costa Mesa because Costa Mesa later became the company’s listed headquarters. The founding location, however, was in Beverly Hills. CPK expanded throughout Southern California and had 26 restaurants by 1992. It later navigated ownership changes, rapid expansion, and a 2020 bankruptcy before emerging with reduced debt.