California Pizza Kitchen Set to Open in Seattle; Pizza Sales Day to Benefit Children's Hospital and Medical Center

Business Wire, May 23, 2002

Business Editors

SEATTLE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2002

California Pizza Kitchen (Nasdaq:CPKI), a leading casual dining restaurant chain and home of the Original BBQ Chicken pizza and many other innovative hearth-baked pizzas, creative pastas, salads, soups and sandwiches, will open its second Puget Sound restaurant at Northgate Mall on May 29, 2002.

To celebrate the opening, California Pizza Kitchen will donate 100% of all pizza sales on June 4, 2002 to benefit Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center.

"We are excited about the opportunity to work with California Pizza Kitchen on the opening of their new restaurant at Northgate Mall," explained Eve Kopp, Associate Director, Foundation & Guilds Association, Children's Hospital. "This is a definite win-win for Children's and CPK. We encourage people to participate in this event which will help us help our kids."

Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center has provided quality healthcare for kids for over 90 years. As the premier pediatric referral center for the Pacific Northwest, it is recognized as one of the top three children's hospitals in the country by Child Magazine.

"California Pizza Kitchen is delighted that our fundraising effort will help Children's Hospital help every child in need of care, regardless of a family's ability to pay," said Fred Hipp, president and CEO of California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.

The popular restaurant chain will be located at the north entrance of Northgate Mall, at 401 Northgate Way at Northgate Mall. The new CPK will have 5,032 square feet with 156 seats and will feature an exhibition kitchen, light wood interior, and colorful pizza box art on the walls, all signatures of the California Pizza Kitchen contemporary decor.

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., founded in 1985, is a leading casual dining chain in the premium pizza segment. The restaurant features hearth-baked pizzas, salads, soups and sandwiches. The chain operates, licenses or franchises 133 restaurants of which 104 are company owned, and 29 operate under franchise or license agreements. The California Pizza Kitchen website is www.cpk.com.