How much does a California Pizza Kitchen franchise cost?
Opening a California Pizza Kitchen franchise takes a total initial investment of $1,582,000 to $5,377,500, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
California Pizza Kitchen franchises CPK Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a California Pizza Kitchen franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $1,582,000 to $5,377,500. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction and Leasehold Improvements ($1,000,000 to $3,500,000), Equipment and Security Systems ($150,000 to $500,000), and Additional Funds – 3 Months (Working Capital) ($100,000 to $350,000). Together they make up about 81% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $50,000, about 3.2% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $1,000,000 | $3,500,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Architects and Design2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $75,000 | $175,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Signs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $15,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Furniture and Fixtures2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $27,000 | $100,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| POS System, Back Office Technology and Software2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $35,000 | $107,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Equipment and Security Systems2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $150,000 | $500,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Lease Deposit2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $15,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Lease Rent (3 months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $35,000 | $150,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Utility Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $10,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Licenses and Permits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $5,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Liquor License2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $10,000 | $200,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $5,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Initial Food Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $12,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Initial Supplies and Non-Food Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $3,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $10,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Training Expenses2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $20,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Grand Opening Marketing Program2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $5,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months (Working Capital)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $100,000 | $350,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11 | $1,582,000 | $5,377,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11 |
Source California Pizza Kitchen, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What California Pizza Kitchen franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
We do not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of Company-Operated or franchised restaurants. We also do not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing CPK Restaurant, however, we may provide you with the actual records of that CPK Restaurant.
Source California Pizza Kitchen, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 44, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many California Pizza Kitchen outlets there are, and how many closed
California Pizza Kitchen ended 2025 with 14 franchised outlets and 107 company-owned outlets. In that year 3 franchised outlets opened and 1 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, California Pizza Kitchen opened 3 franchised outlets and 4 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 1, from 15 to 14 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 2 were not renewed and 2 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 9.5% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 11.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45 |
| 2024 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45 |
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45 |
Source California Pizza Kitchen, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 45, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How California Pizza Kitchen compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of California Pizza Kitchen's estimated range is $3,479,750. It costs more to open than 96% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 9.5% for California Pizza Kitchen. That is higher than 73% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. California Pizza Kitchen's franchised system shrank 6.7%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. California Pizza Kitchen is not one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when California Pizza Kitchen files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you California Pizza Kitchen's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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