Last we checked a pizza and a french fry were not the same thing. But California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is discovering that they’re not as different as you might imagine.
Michael Beacham, president of California Pizza Kitchen
“When we looked at the skews we found we only had a few things that we needed to bring in from the outside — the tortillas, the Hot Cheetos, which are shelf-stable in bags, and the Oreos for the dessert,” said President Michael Beacham in describing CPK’s recently announced partnership with virtual brand Man Vs. Fries. “Everything else we pretty much had or could make in house.”
And the ingredients that aligned weren’t all about food. They also involved brand personality.
“We have a similar DNA to Man Vs. Fries,” he said. “We’re the originators of artisan pizza. And there’s a similar wow factor to Man Vs. Fries. You open an order and you see the size and all the different ingredients and you can tell it’s not a me-too brand. There’s an unexpectedness to it.”
Virtual brands as part of the strategy
Beacham’s comfort level with Man Vs. Fries couldn’t be called unexpected. He spent a couple years as the president of Reef Kitchens, which not long ago were considered a linchpin in the virtual brands ecosystem, with a network of kitchen trailers the size of shipping containers, before moving on to Earl Enterprises. In a time when some people are ready to sit shiva over virtual brands, Beacham feels a pulse.
“The media loves to say something is the next new thing then kill it as soon as possible,” he said. “Brands are still executing virtual brands out of their kitchens. They’re just being smarter about it.”
Here’s what he means by that.
“If you use the same culinary skill from your labor, and it doesn’t impact your front-of-house operations, and you don’t need to bring in a lot of extra food product or equipment, why wouldn’t you?,” he said. “Say you have a location that slows down at 8 or 9 but you have a team until 10 or 11. And you discover that the big ordering hours for a brand like Man Vs. Fries are after 8. A partnership might allow you to keep your hours of operations as long as possible and achieve more throughput.”
CPK is already offering the Man Vs. Fries menu in 118 restaurant locations. And Man vs. Fries enthusiasts can order off a secret menu if they come in to select CPK locations in Florida and California. This will be expanding soon.
Hot food vending machines are coming
Beacham’s thirst for experimentation hasn’t been slaked. He’s got another bold move nearly ready for roll-out.
“We just spent a year innovating on what we feel will be the best hot-food vending machine out there,” he said. “We assessed 32 companies and put them through a process and landed on two that we will be testing over the next six months in airports. Eventually you’ll see them in university dorms, limited-service hotels, places where there is a food desert. I think we’re going to come out as the market leader on this in the pizza space.”
CPK turns 40 this year and is proving that 40 is the new 20. Last year it unveiled a domestic franchise system, something that was previously only reserved for international development. It signed its first agreement with Las Vegas-based franchisee Sundine, which agreed to acquire three units in its market and develop six more. “We have deals on the table for several other markets as well,” Beacham said, noting that the brand’s sales are up.
As good a time as any then to try things like virtual brands and vending machines.
“We are more excited at this point in time than we’ve ever been.”
