CPKI - California Pizza Kitchen Still Enjoys a Brisk Trade
California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., the casual dining chain, reported in early April a 10.2% revenue increase from last year and Tickermine’s April survey offers some snapshot as to why. The survey polled respondents at 23 locations and asked whether lunch or dinner were busier, how old was their location, why customers ate there, what the average bill was for a party of two, what the most popular menu items were and was the restaurant close to any mall? Dinner was overwhelmingly the busiest shift with 16 respondents or 70% and only 7 or 30% stated lunch as being busier. Most respondents, 10 or 43% reported customer traffic as busier than this time last year. Six or 26% thought it was the same. Four or 17% thought it was less than before and 3 or 13% said theirs was new therefore there was no comparison. Twenty of those polled or 87% said their location was older than one year and 3 or 13% said their location was new. Thirteen or 57% stated that the menu was what attracted their customer base. Eight or 35% thought it was the atmosphere and 2 or 9% stated prices. Eight respondents cited that a party of two would wind up paying $36-$45 per meal. Seven stated $26-$35 (30%), 6 stated under $25 (26%), and 2 or 9% said around $50. Fourteen of those polled, 61%, said their location was near a mall or other restaurants and 9 or 39% said theirs was not. Barbecue Chicken pizza remained the most popular dish this survey cited by 6 respondents, so, 26%. This was followed by the Italian, Tomato and Basil pizza (3 or 13%), the Pasta Penne Cream and Blue Crab Cakes (2 or 9%) and the following were each mentioned once or 4%: Cajun Pizza, Cajun Club, Carne Asada Pizza, Chipotle Pizza, Jamaican Jerk Pizza, Singapore Shrimp Rolls, Pepperoni Pizza, Greek Pizza, the Works Pizza and White Pizza.