Pizza & The Presidency: National Survey Reveals Leading Candidates And America's Dining Preferences

(Friday, October 19, 2007) - California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (CPK) (NASDAQ:CPKI) announced today the results of a national survey conducted by Impulse Research in celebration of National Pizza Month. Over 1,000 adult men and women, ages 18 - 65 were surveyed with survey results examining America's dining habits as they relate to food preferences, dining frequency and the Presidency. Among the key findings:

If pizza drove votes:

-- When asked with which Presidential candidate Americans would prefer

to share their pizza, Senator Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani came out neck and neck, each receiving approximately 31% of votes -- Senator Barack Obama was chosen by nearly 1 out of 5 Americans

-- Senator John McCain garnered about 16% of votes

-- On average, Americans eat pizza at least one time per week, every week of the year

-- 67% of Americans feel that pizza is the most important 'comfort food'

-- When asked which food one would NEVER give up, nearly 50% of all Americans surveyed (aged 25-34) said they could not live without pizza (pasta, hamburgers and Chinese food were more easily dispensable)

"Americans clearly share a passion for pizza," said Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, California Pizza Kitchen. "If pizza was the benchmark in the upcoming Presidential election, we'd have a very close race."

"Perhaps the candidates should woo voters with California Pizza Kitchen pizzas; it would most likely give them an edge," added Rick and Larry.

National Pizza Month celebrates America's enduring love affair with pizza:
-- Americans eat approximately 100 acres of pizza each day, or about 350 slices per second(a)
-- Pizza is a $32+ Billion per year industry(b)
-- 94% of the U.S. population eats pizza
(a)NAPO
(b)Pizza Marketing Quarterly

California Pizza Kitchen, the pioneers of California-style pizza consisting of innovative toppings and worldly ingredients, has been dishing out their famed Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and other pizza favorites since 1985.

For interviews with our 'pizza pro,' or if interested in b-roll footage, please contact:
Erin Murphy
California Pizza Kitchen
310-342-5000

About CPK

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., founded in 1985, is a leading casual dining chain. Of the chain's 222 restaurants, 189 are company-owned and 33 operate under franchise or license agreements. There are 26 CPK ASAP locations, 10 of which are company-owned and 16 are franchised. Also included in the company's portfolio of concepts is LA Food Show Grill & Bar, which currently has one location in Manhattan Beach, California. The company's full-service restaurants feature an imaginative line of hearth-baked pizzas, including the original BBQ Chicken Pizza, and a broad selection of distinctive pastas, salads, soups, appetizers and sandwiches. The company also has a licensing arrangement with Kraft Pizza Company, which manufactures and distributes a line of California Pizza Kitchen premium frozen pizzas. Children who dine at California Pizza Kitchen choose from an extensive menu, recently named "The Best Kids Menu in America" by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine. For more details, visit www.cpk.com.

MULTIMEDIA AVAILABLE:
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5522345

CONTACT: California Pizza Kitchen
Sarah Grover, 310-342-5000
SOURCE: California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.

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