CPK Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals
INTRODUCTION The California Pizza Kitchen was founded in 1985 by attorneys Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax. The two lawyers worked together to fulfill their desire to enter the restaurant business. They created innovative toppings for their menu with recipes such as the Jamaican Jerk Chicken and the Pear & Gorgonzola pizzas. According to their website, they operate “more than 250 CPKs in 32 states and nine foreign countries.” (California Pizza Kitchen, unk.)
The company opened with rather inauspicious beginnings. Many restaurants were opening at that time. Unfortunately, many were also closing shortly afterwards due to poor management, inadequate financing, and a litany of other reasons. However, CPK did not fall prey to the negative business environment. As stated in a 2001 article regarding the company’s success, “Flax and Rosenfield attribute the company 's success to their product and their corporate culture.” (Engle, 2001)
CPK VISION, MISSION, VALUES, AND GOALS
The CPK website does not list a mission statement. Instead, visitors to the site are given an optimistic view of the company through its investor relations and FAQ pages. A review of the site leads to the following observations of its mission: CPK intends to be a “leader in authentic California-style cuisine (and to be) widely known for its innovative menu items. California Pizza Kitchen (will) provide a range of creative dishes, from signature California-style hearth-baked pizzas, creative salads, pastas, soups and sandwiches to extensive beer and wine lists with a full bar.” (California Pizza Kitchen, unk.)
There is no vision statement listed on the web site either. However, Internet searches show some instances where the company’s founders have discussed their initial vision. Rosenfield states in one interview, “From day one, we 've always had this vision of creating a global
Bibliography: California Pizza Kitchen. (unk.). Investor Relations. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from California Pizza Kitchen Web Site: http://investor.cpk.com/ California Pizza Kitchen. (unk.). Investor Relations: CPK Fact Sheet. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from California Pizza Kitchen Web Site: http://investor.cpk.com/factSheet.cfm Covey, S. (unk.). Mission Statement Definition. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from Leadership-Tools.com Web Site: http://www.leadership-tools.com/mission-statement-definition.html Engle, E. (2001, April 25). Call Them Anything But Late For Dinner. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from Honolulu Star-Bulletin: http://archives.starbulletin.com/2001/04/25/business/story2.html Leadership-Tools.com. (unk.). Mission Statement Definition. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from Leadership-Tools.com web Site: http://www.leadership-tools.com/mission-statement-definition.html Smith, R. M. (2007, June 25). Rolling in Dough. Retrieved July 15, 2010, from Newsweek Web Site: http://www.newsweek.com/2007/06/24/rolling-in-dough.html