US casual restaurant chain signs Dubai franchise deal

California Pizza Kitchen, a US based casual restaurant chain, has agreed a franchise deal for Dubai. The company has signed an agreement with Gourmet Gulf Company, a Dubai based company, to open a minimum of three California Pizza Kitchen restaurants within the next two years. The first restaurant is due to open in Autumn this year.

Rick Rosenfield, California Pizza Kitchen's co-Founder and co-CEO, said: 'With a vibrant economy and GDP growth year on year, the UAE is a natural choice for our strategic growth plan.'

Larry Flax, California Pizza Kitchen's co-Founder and co-CEO, added: 'With over 30 million visitors in 2007 alone, this agreement allows us to bring our California-style pizzas to a new audience in not only the UAE, but to people from all over the globe.'

California Pizza Kitchen was founded in 1985 and serves innovative hearth-baked pizzas, made-to-order pastas, salads, appetizers, soups, sandwiches and desserts.