---
title: "California Pizza Kitchen Files for Bankruptcy"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/5553f8d2-2296-4e9c-b0ce-3c1b792264a1
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/california-pizza-kitchen-files-for-bankruptcy-2713631
category: "Pizza"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Pizza"
topics: ["Finance & M&A"]
published: 2020-07-31T15:10:15.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:28:40.541Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/086d9ffc08d3c75d7efcfad342c74cad7465.jpg
---

# California Pizza Kitchen Files for Bankruptcy

**TL;DR:** California Pizza Kitchen has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to financial difficulties caused by the pandemic. The brand will undergo a financial restructuring that may include turning over leadership to lenders and slashing debt.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-07-31. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/california-pizza-kitchen-files-for-bankruptcy-2713631).*

## Story

**To the list of restaurant franchises filing for bankruptcy since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic — a list that includes iconic brands like Chuck E. Cheese and Le Pain Quotidien — add California Pizza Kitchen.**

**On Thursday, the LA-based full-service franchise announced it had officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, allowing the brand to undergo a financial restructuring that may include turning over leadership to lenders and slashing debt.**

**As EATER Los Angeles points out****, the news does not mean that California Pizza Kitchen will be closing all of its 250 locations, but Chapter 11 is widely considered the last-ditch effort for a struggling business, and the brand is likely to close a number of underperforming units as a result of the financial restructuring.**

**“The unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on our operations certainly created additional challenges, but this agreement from our lenders demonstrates their commitment to CPK’s viability as an ongoing business,” said CEO Jim Hyatt in a statement. “Throughout this process we will continue to deliver the same innovative, California-inspired cuisine that we have been serving for over 35 years.”**

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- pandemic impact (topic)
- California Pizza Kitchen (company)
- Chuck E. Cheese (company)
- bankruptcy filing (topic)
- financial restructuring (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/california-pizza-kitchen-files-for-bankruptcy-2713631). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/5553f8d2-2296-4e9c-b0ce-3c1b792264a1).