CPK Will Launch Salad Kits Nationally in 2027
Restaurant operators can expect new branded retail prepared foods as CPK leverages a manufacturing partnership.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Consumer Goods
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California Pizza Kitchen will debut a premium line of salad kits and single-serve salads in 2027 through a new partnership with FiveStar Gourmet Foods. This move extends the restaurant brand's presence into the refrigerated prepared food category.
Why it matters
The collaboration aims to capture consumer interest in the fresh salad aisle by blending restaurant-inspired recipes with established manufacturing infrastructure. This strategy allows California Pizza Kitchen to maintain brand visibility beyond its physical restaurant footprint.
California Pizza Kitchen currently operates in 25 U.S. states and nine countries, and is now planning to deploy 1,000 automated retail kiosks over a three-year period. This retail footprint expansion accompanies a new partnership with FiveStar Gourmet Foods.
The players
California Pizza Kitchen
A casual dining chain with a presence in 25 U.S. states and nine countries that is diversifying into retail food products and automated kiosks.
FiveStar Gourmet Foods
A fresh-food manufacturer with nearly three decades of experience that is providing the infrastructure for CPK's new retail salad line.
The details
California Pizza Kitchen is utilizing FiveStar Gourmet Foods' national manufacturing capabilities to produce and distribute the branded salad kits. By scaling through this production infrastructure, the company plans to move beyond its traditional restaurant model into the refrigerated grocery segment. The partnership also includes plans to explore additional product categories, such as dressings and other prepared meals.
Timeline
1985: California Pizza Kitchen was founded in Beverly Hills.
1998: FiveStar Gourmet Foods was founded.
2027: First CPK fresh retail salad products are scheduled to launch nationwide.
Market Landscape
This partnership follows the established trend of restaurant brands leveraging their consumer recognition to command shelf space in the grocery refrigerated section. It marks a significant shift as the company broadens its reach beyond traditional dining into automated retail.
Operators in the food service and grocery retail space should monitor how this hybrid distribution model influences shelf-space competition in 2027. Businesses should evaluate whether their own inventory planning accounts for the increased presence of restaurant-branded items in the refrigerated aisle.
The takeaway
Brand extension into retail can be a powerful way to monetize restaurant equity, provided the operational supply chain is optimized for grocery scale. Operators should track the 2027 national launch to determine if this partnership model yields the expected category growth in refrigerated goods.
Further reading
For broader trends in the industry, visit our Consumer Goods section.
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