Casual dining chain California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) will make its debut in India next summer. Franchise partners JSM Corp. Pvt. Ltd. and Daud Arabian Trading did not say where the unit would be but confirmed that the full-service restaurant would be the first of a minimum of 15 to be developed on subcontinent within ten years.
Daud Arabian Trading already knows the brand. A current franchisee, this subsidiary of The Daud Group of Oman opened the first CPK restaurant in Dubai earlier this year. It’s also a veteran at building out international chains, having introduced McDonalds, Yo! Sushi and Gourmet Burger Kitchen to the Middle East.
Mumbai-based JSM also brings experience to the table. The restaurant group is Hard Rock Café’s exclusive franchisee in India. The Asian-inspired Shiro concept and independent brands such as Fratelli, IndoChine and Pitstop are also in its portfolio.
The deal adds the 11th country to CPK’s international map. Twenty-seven of its 252 restaurants are outside the United States.