California Pizza Kitchen co-founder reveals story behind restaurants name

California Pizza Kitchen, with their nearly 50 locations across the Golden State and 200 world-wide, actually owe their name to Rhode Island.Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, who launched the first CPK in Beverly Hills in 1985, were considering more typical Italian restaurant-sounding names when they had dinner with a couple from Providence.“They said, well, ‘With those other names, if you open in Providence, it would just be another Italian restaurant,’” Rosenfield recalled.“But if you open a California Pizza Kitchen in Providence, we want to go see what you fruits and nuts are up to.”And that was all the convincing they needed.“I absolutely believe that the California name resonated not only in California, but around the world,” said Rosenfield, whose book, “The California Pizza Kitchen Story: How Two Federal Prosecutors Changed the Way America Eats Pizza,” was released July 21.

“It has a connotation of being healthy and innovative and clean and energetic.” California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story As his book title reveals, Rosenfield and Flax were far from your typical restauranteurs when they birthed CPK.

Rosenfield worked for the U.S.Department of Justice on cases before the U.S.

Supreme Court before he and Flax launched their own criminal defense practice.“We were both frustrated at practicing law and looking for a way out,” he recalled.“Everybody thinks they can operate and would love to own a restaurant.

We came back from a frustrating four-month trial in San Francisco and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”The original concept was a pasta cafeteria.“We went out to see something that was similar, and we noticed that people were ordering a slice of pizza with their pasta,” Rosenfield said.“We said, ‘Let’s do this...