California Pizza Kitchen to open pizza kiosks on military bases

The machines can bake a pizza in as little as 90 seconds. Image courtesy of California Pizza Kitchen

California Pizza Kitchen plans to open hundreds of automated pizza machines on military bases across the U.S.

The brand is partnering with Ranger Group, a military contractor, to install and operate the machines at Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard bases. Ranger Group is run by Army Ranger veteran Mark “Ranger” Jones, who also has experience in restaurant franchising.

The partnership will start with domestic installations, with the potential to expand to other military locations, including overseas, in the future.

It builds upon CPK’s plans to open as many as 1,000 kiosks nationwide over the next three years in places like airports, universities, and hospitals. The company is looking to grow its brand beyond restaurants and grocery stores, where it sells frozen pizza and other products.

CPK’s automated kiosks feature TurboChef ovens and can produce freshly baked pizza in as little as 90 seconds, the company said. Customers order on a touchscreen display.

“As a veteran myself, I’m personally proud to bring our restaurant-quality pizzas directly to the places where our service members work and train,” Michael Beacham, president of California Pizza Kitchen Global, said in a statement. “This initiative is both an expression of our gratitude and a meaningful step forward in our mission to make the California Pizza Kitchen experience more accessible wherever people are.”

Founded in 1985, Costa Mesa, California-based CPK has around 100 domestic restaurants today. It was sold late last year to an investor group, led by Consortium Brand Partners, that planned to kick off a new era of growth for the brand.