California Pizza Kitchen is turning to pizza kiosks to rapidly expand its U.S. footprint in a rollout unmatched by other major restaurant chains in the U.S.
The Costa Mesa-based chain plans to deploy up to 1,000 automated retail vending machines across 30 major U.S. markets over the next three years, allowing CPK to move quickly into high-traffic locations such as airports, universities, hospitals and hotels.
Other national restaurant chains, including Donatos Pizza and Wow Bao, have experimented with automated food vending, but neither has announced a deployment approaching CPK’s proposed 1,000-machine scale.
It’s something that we didn’t take lightly, President
“It’s something that we didn’t take lightly,” President Michael Beacham told the Business Journal. “It allows us to get our brand closer to people in a much faster way than a traditional brick and mortar route.”
The rollout, announced Aug. 21, builds on testing that CPK began last year with retail growth firm T-ROC Global. The TurboChef-powered kiosks can cook a frozen pizza in as little as 90 seconds and will later offer menu items such as Kung Pao Spaghetti, Mac ‘N’ Cheese and Butter Cake.
Beacham said automated machines is the most scalable way to grow without “signing a 12-year lease.”
T-ROC plans to initially deploy the machines
T-ROC plans to initially deploy the machines in clusters of at least 20 across office and residential complexes, electric vehicle charging centers and sports venues. The company will deploy, replenish and maintain the machines.
About 15 CPK kiosks are already operating at Boston Logan, Atlanta, Dallas Love Field and Dayton airports, with another 30 expected to be activated at universities, military bases, hospitals and hotels later this year.
CPK could eventually bring the machines closer to home.
Asked about placing kiosks at John Wayne Airport or Los Angeles International Airport, Beacham said the company would welcome the opportunity.
We would love to be in CPK’s hometown
“We would love to be in CPK’s hometown airports,” Beacham told the Business Journal. “If the opportunity presents itself for us to place machines there, we will surely answer the call.”
John Wayne Airport already has a sit-down CPK restaurant near Gate 5.
CPK, acquired last year by an investor group led by Consortium Brand Partners, generated $350 million in systemwide sales in 2025, down 14% from the prior year The chain ranks as the 10th-largest Orange County-based restaurant brand by sales
