California Pizza Kitchen Partners With T-ROC Global for National Expansion of Automated Retail Kiosks

Integrated partnership brings CPK favorites to airports, universities, hospitals and other high-traffic locations where consumers crave convenient, high-quality hot food

COSTA MESA, Calif. & CORAL GABLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), the iconic restaurant brand that revolutionized pizza with its California-inspired creativity, today announced a partnership with T-ROC Global, a leading provider of technology-enabled retail solutions, to dramatically expand access to CPK through a new generation of automated retail experiences.

Through the partnership, T-ROC will implement and operate up to 1,000 CPK automated retail machines nationwide over the next three years, bringing the brand and its iconic menu items to high-traffic locations where a traditional restaurant may be impractical, but consumers are often underserved with elevated food options.

From airports and universities to hospitals, hotels, office complexes, residential communities, EV charging stations, sports venues, and other destinations, CPK’s strategy is simple: bring a taste of the restaurant experience to more consumers, wherever they are.

“For decades, CPK has been dedicated to meeting consumers wherever they are, whether through our global restaurant network, airport and non-traditional locations, off-site events, or the local grocery store where we’ve been a leading premium pizza brand for 25 years,” said Michael Beacham, President of California Pizza Kitchen Global. “Our automated retail strategy, now accelerated through a partnership with T-ROC, introduces CPK to entirely new occasions and venues where consumers desire quality food on the go.”

The CPK and T-ROC automated retail experience goes well beyond conventional food vending, leveraging Turbo-chef powered cooking, data-driven intelligence, and engaging touch-screen technology that can deliver a CPK pizza in as little as 90 seconds, creating an on-demand restaurant-quality experience wherever consumers live, work, travel, study and gather.

“CPK is exactly the kind of iconic consumer brand that can redefine what automated retail can be,” said Brett Beveridge, CEO and Founder of T-ROC Global. “Consumers increasingly expect their favorite brands to meet them where they are, and technology is making that possible in entirely new ways. By combining CPK’s brand, food and loyal following with T-ROC’s nationwide infrastructure and technology capabilities, we have an opportunity to build a new national distribution channel at a meaningful scale.”

In addition to pizza, CPK and T-ROC plan to offer a selection of other menu favorites, including Kung Pao and Bolognese Spaghetti, Mac ‘N’ Cheese (in classic, BBQ Chicken and Burnt Ends varieties) and even CPK's signature Butter Cake.

T-ROC will leverage its nationwide infrastructure – including 32 warehouses, a dedicated van fleet and thousands of technicians – to deploy, replenish, maintain and support CPK automated retail machines across the country. The rollout will initially focus on clusters of at least 20 units across 30 major U.S. markets, enabling the companies to establish meaningful market density and scale efficiently.

Partnering with T-ROC significantly expands and accelerates a strategy that CPK has been testing since last year. CPK currently has automated retail machines operating at airports such as Boston Logan and Atlanta, Dallas Love Field and Dayton, with another 15 activated by later this year at several Universities.

Under the new agreement, T-ROC – in addition to scaling its own network of machines – will also serve as the nationwide service provider for CPK’s other automated retail operating partners, providing capabilities that include replenishment, break/fix service, warehousing and logistics, execution training, kiosk management technologies and venue identification.

About California Pizza Kitchen

Founded in 1985, California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) revolutionized casual dining with its first restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, introducing the world to innovative, California-inspired pizza at scale. Recently celebrating its 40th anniversary year, CPK today is a beloved global brand, serving creative California cuisine in restaurants spanning 25 U.S. states along with nine countries and U.S. territories. Additionally, the CPK brand has been a premium leader in the U.S. frozen pizza grocery aisle for more than 25 years while also expanding to frozen appetizers and sauces, Today, CPK continues to innovate and expand in casual dining, retail products, and non-traditional food service channels, providing more access to its fresh, imaginative twist on familiar foods that consumers continue to crave.

For more information, visit http://www.cpk.com and follow @cpk on Instagram, @calpizzakitchen on TikTok, @calpizzakitchen on X or @california-pizza-kitchen on LinkedIn.

About T-ROC Global

T-ROC Global is a leading retail growth and technology company that helps brands and retailers maximize sales, expand market share and reach consumers wherever they shop. Combining people, technology and operational expertise, T-ROC delivers end-to-end solutions across traditional and automated retail, from assisted selling, brand representation and managed retail programs to smart vending and other technology-enabled retail experiences.

T-ROC's automated retail capabilities span the entire lifecycle, including strategy, deployment, ownership and operation, as well as turnkey support for brand-, operator- and venue-owned networks. Its capabilities include site deployment, product replenishment, warehousing and logistics, break-fix services, technology and inventory management, and ongoing field operations.

With nationwide infrastructure, proprietary technology and decades of retail experience, T-ROC gives brands a single partner to launch, operate and scale retail programs while driving measurable sales growth and ROI.

For more information, visit trocglobal.com.