Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Aug 14
Consortium Brand Partners Acquires California Pizza Kitchen for Under $300 Million
Updated
Updated · Fox Business · Aug 14

Consortium Brand Partners Acquires California Pizza Kitchen for Under $300 Million

3 articles · Updated · Fox Business · Aug 14

Summary

  • California Pizza Kitchen’s December 2025 sale to Consortium Brand Partners valued the chain at just under $300 million, with co-founder Rick Rosenfield saying the new owner can take the brand to “new glory.”
  • More than 120 restaurants in 10 countries remain under the 41-year-old brand, which Rosenfield said still has consistent food and broad family appeal despite years of decline.
  • Golden Gate Capital bought CPK for $470 million in 2011, and Rosenfield said that ownership damaged the company’s culture before the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2020.
  • CPK emerged from bankruptcy in November 2020 after the pandemic worsened existing financial troubles, leaving the latest ownership change as the next test of whether the chain can regain its former scale.

Insights

How will CPK's new owners turn a $300 million discount acquisition back into a dominant force in the 2026 dining scene?
With malls declining globally, what secret strategy will California Pizza Kitchen use to reclaim its former upscale dining glory?