California Pizza Kitchen Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer; Company Controller, Susan M. Collyns, to Assume Role of Chief Accounting Officer.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 2004

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPKI) announced today that Greg Levin, Chief Financial Officer, has resigned from the Company to accept another position of employment.

Mr. Levin will remain with the Company through January 30, 2004, to ensure a smooth transition as the Company conducts a formal search for a new Chief Financial Officer. As part of that process, Susan M. Collyns, Controller and Vice President of Finance, will assume the role of Chief Accounting Officer, effective immediately. Ms. Collyns, who has been the Company's Controller for the past two and one half years, will assume responsibility for Mr. Levin's day-to-day activities and will report directly to Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, Co-CEOs.

Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax stated, "We'd like to thank Greg for his many years of service to California Pizza Kitchen and we certainly wish him well in all his future endeavors. Sue has a strong financial background and the experience to fill the necessary immediate role, thus enabling us to conduct a diligent search to find the right person to fill this important position as we near completion of our management transition. We look forward to having the right team in place for the remainder of 2004 and beyond."

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., founded in 1985, is a leading casual dining chain in the premium pizza segment. 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, and sandwiches. The average guest check is approximately $11.60. As of today, the chain operates, licenses or franchises 168 restaurants of which 139 are company-owned and 29 operate under franchise or license agreements. The Company also has a strategic alliance with Kraft Pizza Company to manufacture and distribute a line of California Pizza Kitchen premium frozen pizzas.

This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, therefore, undue reliance should not be placed on them. Forward-looking statements can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from the expectations referred to herein. Among the key factors that may have a direct bearing on our operating results, performance and financial condition are the execution of our expansion strategy, the continued availability of qualified employees, the maintenance of reasonable food and supply costs and numerous other matters discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. California Pizza Kitchen undertakes no obligation to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.