California Pizza Kitchen Releases Research Indicating Distinct Personality Profiles Based on Pizza Preferences.

Feature & Lifestyle Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2003

National Survey Suggests Pizza Choices May Reveal Politics,

Dream Job and More

Research released today indicates that keeping a watchful eye on the pizza preferences of family, friends and coworkers may give you certain insights -- like the political party your spouse is likely to support in an upcoming election...the career aspirations of your friends...and what type of movie will help you win points with your first date.

As part of its October celebration of National Pizza Month, California Pizza Kitchen (Nasdaq:CPKI) sponsored the national survey of 1,000 Americans over the age of 18 conducted by Schapiro Research Group in Atlanta. "The research revealed that Americans' pizza choices seem to be a good indicator of overall personality, including politics, dream jobs and a variety of preferences in our personal lives," said Larry Flax, co-chairman and co-CEO of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). "For example, the biggest pizza fans in America -- those who eat the whole pie when they order it -- would love to share a slice with David Letterman," Flax said.

"The findings from the national pizza survey statistically demonstrate that you can identify distinct pizza personality traits and behaviors of Americans simply by the kind of pizza they prefer and what they like to put on it," said Beth Schapiro, Ph.D., principal of Schapiro Research Group, Inc. "When it comes to pizza, the phrase 'you are what you eat', is really true."

Three Distinct Pizza Personality Profiles

The research reveals three distinct "pizza personality profiles" for consumers who prefer "California-style" pizza, "New York-style" pizza or deep dish "Chicago-style" pizza:

"California-style" Pizza Personality Profile

California-style pizza lovers are creative and adventurous, preferring bold and exciting pizza flavors and toppings like BBQ chicken, Thai or Mexican. They are mostly Democrats, and while they join all pizza eaters in wanting to share a slice with Oprah or the President, they would also jump at the chance to eat pizza with Madonna and David Letterman. California-style pizza eaters prefer to spend their free time catching action-adventure flicks or reading the New York Times. They are self-proclaimed rebels and among their preferred dream jobs are book editor or author.

California-style Pizza Personality Summary:

-- Most likely to choose these pizza toppings - garlic and

shrimp, BBQ chicken and Thai

-- Preferred pizza seasonings - oregano and parmesan cheese 

-- Celebrities they would like to eat pizza with - Madonna or

David Letterman

-- Preferred type of movie - action-adventure

-- More likely to be found reading - New York Times

-- Dream jobs include - book editor / author

-- In high school - the rebel

-- Likely political party affiliation - Democrat

"New York-style" Pizza Personality Profile

New York-style pizza lovers are traditionalists at heart. They prefer the old standards like sausage or pepperoni when ordering a pie. These pizza lovers would choose Oprah Winfrey and President Bush to share a slice of pizza, and are likely to spend time with their families and play sports on the weekends. New York-style pizza eaters keep up with the world by reading People and the New York Times, and are equally divided among Democrats and Republicans.

New York-style Pizza Personality Summary:

-- Most likely to choose these pizza toppings - traditional meats

like sausage and pepperoni

-- Preferred pizza seasonings - nothing extra

-- Celebrities they would like to eat pizza with - Oprah Winfrey

or President Bush

-- Preferred type of movie - action-adventure or comedy

-- More likely to be found reading - People, New York Times

-- Dream jobs include - stay-at-home parent

-- In high school - the brainiac

-- Likely political party affiliation - equally divided

Deep Dish "Chicago-style" Pizza Personality Profile

Chicago-style pizza lovers have a wild streak and like to live life to its fullest. They are more likely to be women and under 30, and prefer deep dish pizza with sausage and pepperoni with no added seasonings. Like all other pizza eaters, they would love to share pizza with Oprah Winfrey and President Bush, but if given the chance, they would share a slice with Hollywood hunk Denzel Washington. These former high school jocks and likely Republicans catch up on current events by reading USA Today, and they fantasize about being sports stars like Venus Williams, Anna Kournikova or Lance Armstrong.

Chicago-style Pizza Personality Summary:

-- Most likely to choose these pizza toppings - traditional meats

like sausage and pepperoni

-- Preferred pizza seasonings - nothing extra

-- Celebrities they would like to eat pizza with - Denzel

Washington

-- Preferred type of movie - action-adventure, comedy or drama

-- More likely to be found reading - USA Today

-- Dream jobs include - sports star

-- In high school - the jock

-- Likely political party affiliation - Republican

"We have always known that our guests at California Pizza Kitchen tend to be more creative and adventuresome, and this research confirms that. But we wanted to test the idea of distinct pizza personalities, and that is where the real surprise is," said Flax.

California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., founded in 1985 by attorneys Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield, is a leading casual dining chain in the premium pizza segment. The restaurant features hearth-baked pizzas, pastas, salads, soups and sandwiches. The chain operates 165 restaurants, of which 134 are company-owned, and 31 operate under franchise or license agreements. For more information on CPK, please visit www.cpk.com.