California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has entered a partnership with FiveStar Gourmet Foods to launch a premium collection of restaurant-inspired salad kits and single-serve salads across North American retail channels, with commercial availability scheduled for 2027.
The collaboration pairs CPK's culinary heritage in casual dining with FiveStar's manufacturing scale and fresh-food distribution network, introducing branded refrigerated salad products designed to upgrade the fresh produce fixture.
"Salads have been a cornerstone of CPK since the beginning, from our BBQ Chicken Chopped to our Thai Crunch," said Michael Beacham, President of California Pizza Kitchen Global. "Bringing that creativity, bold flavour and California approach to the fresh aisle is a natural next step, and FiveStar Gourmet Foods is the right partner to help us deliver the quality our guests expect, wherever they find us."
Restaurant Credibility and Fresh Production
Under the agreement, FiveStar Gourmet Foods, creator of the Simply Fresh brand, will manufacture and distribute the new product lines leveraging its nearly three decades of fresh-food operational expertise and national supply chain footprint.
The initial portfolio will translate signature restaurant recipes into packaged retail formats, incorporating elevated ingredients and proprietary dressings developed to replicate dining-room standards.
"This category doesn’t need another ordinary salad," said Tal Shoshan, Founder and CEO of FiveStar Gourmet Foods. "Retailers need products that give consumers a reason to come back with excitement and confidence. CPK brings something very different: a loved restaurant brand known for delicious, creative food."
Executive Chef and Vice President of Culinary Innovation at CPK, Paul Pszybylski, added: "We started with the salads our guests already love and worked with FiveStar to translate them for the fresh aisle. The goal is simple: when you open one at home, it should taste like something you'd order at our table."
Brand Expansion
The partnership represents a broader retail expansion for CPK under the management of Consortium Brand Partners, following earlier initiatives to scale frozen product lines, introduce multi-category refrigerated prepared foods, and deploy automated retail kiosks across high-traffic transport and institutional locations.
Products resulting from the FiveStar collaboration will feature co-branded packaging displaying the California Pizza Kitchen trademark alongside "Crafted by Simply Fresh," with expanded product categories anticipated as the platform matures.
.jpeg)
.jpg)
.jpeg)
%20Range%20Shot%20Maggi%20Ramen%20-MU%20(002)_0_jpg.webp)