The power of a fresh-from-the-oven pizza is legendary; just the aroma of its mouthwatering flavors wafting through the air can energize any room it finds itself in. But increasingly, restaurants are turning the legend on its head by using luxurious room interiors to boost the pizza dining experience.

“Ambiance is to pizza dining what tabasco sauce is to pizza. It gives it that added kick, making each bite more savory and enjoyable,” explains Archie Rodriguez, President of California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Philippines, the local franchise of the global pizza chain who recently revamped their old store design.

“To improve the look and feel of our restaurants, we patterned our new store design after the branches now rolling out in the United States. We ensured that each aesthetic and design detail contributes to the satisfaction of our customers, particularly in how they enjoy our premium California-style selections,” adds Rodriguez.

Cozy Through Color and Decor

One of the most noticeable changes inside the CPK restaurants is the color scheme. “We made it cozier by shifting from dark shades to earth tones,” says Gina Salazar, Senior Operations Director, who is in charge of optimizing branch operations.

The black leather seats of the booth sets were replaced with a twig-like pattern fabric that exudes color and has a more natural feel. The black and gold carpet has also been replaced with polished travertine tiles, which are easier to clean because they do not trap allergy-triggering dust. Even the ceiling was upgraded to a suspended style of solid wood trellis in stain finish.

“We aimed for the sunny California vibe because eating gastronomic pizzas should feel more like an adventure,” explains Salazar.

Natural Lighting and Spatial Comfort

To simulate the bright and airy California atmosphere, sunlight-controlling blinds were installed. Aside from minimizing glare, the blinds also regulate the air conditioned environment inside CPK stores by reflecting the heat of the sun. “With the installation of blinds and the cleaning of our air conditioning ducts, customers don’t have to worry where to sit. They will receive optimal cooling and can focus on savoring our delicious pizza slices,” notes Salazar.

Walls made from mountain blend el dorado stone were also erected beside the booth seats, serving as a backdrop for indoor plants that help freshen the air inside each CPK restaurant. Aside from indoor temperature, visual clutter has also been addressed by the redesign through a simplified table set-up where only the essentials and a few promotional stands are included.

Even the droll of waiting time has been reduced. “While their orders are being prepared, guests can either watch the plasma TVs or listen to the radio playlist with songs that were customized for CPK Philippines.”

The store redesign has already finished in the Alabang branch, while the Glorietta and Shangri-La branches are set to finish their renovations by the 4th quarter of 2008 and the 2nd quarter of 2009, respectively. Meawhile, the new stores of TriNoma, Rockwell and the soon-to-open Greenbelt 5 have already incorporated the design changes.

“Our premium pizzas are delicious and among the world’s best. But there’s always room for improvement,” says Rodriguez. “The store redesign helped us set the bar even higher—a feat we offer to Filipinos who now enjoy the new and improved CPK dining experience.”

Despite its grand promise of culinary adventure, a pizza safari during the holidays is easy to plan for. Families can simply trek to a world-renowned pizza chain, set up camp for a Yuletide feast, and explore the list of pizza destinations its hearth ovens have to offer.

Hearth ovens have been used for the past 7,000 years to bake dishes throughout the world, including mouthwatering pizzas for the Christmas season. They have become popular for evenly heating a pizza’s dough and toppings—

a process California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has learned to perfect.

As the pizza chain that popularized Califonia-style pizzas around the world, CPK has developed a unique hearth baking process that takes 3 to 7 minutes to complete. Having been baked in approximately 500 degree heat, CPK pizzas develop a crust characteristic of fine bread and pizza toppings with crisp and fresh flavors.

“Christmas food has the tendency to be repetitive, since the usual holiday recipes are recycled year in and year out. CPK’s hearth-baked pizzas break this monotony in cuisine,” says Archie Rodriguez, President of Global Restaurants Concepts Inc, the franchise owner of CPK Philippines. “The hearth baking process gives our pizzas a signature gourmet taste that millions around the world have grown to love, especially as a holiday meal.”

For instance, CPK favorite Original Barbeque Chicken is as irresistible to kids as Santa with its slightly smoky meats and tenderly cooked vegetables. Savory slices of this bestselling pizza are filled with BBQ chicken and sauce, smoked Gouda and Mozzarella cheeses, sliced red onions and cilantro.

Parents looking to spice up the family feast can go for the Thai Chicken. Pieces of chicken breast marinated in a spicy peanut-ginger and sesame sauce turn up the heat and appetite of each family member. Its fiery zest that matches any Yuletide revelry is tempered by a sprinkling of Mozzarella cheese, green onions, bean sprouts, julienne carrots, cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Meanwhile, the new Adobo Chicken Pizza brings a distinctly Filipino taste to any CPK pizza festivity. Its grilled garlic chicken marinated in a famous blend of Adobo chicken sauce sits above a pizza crust filled with red and green onions, red bell peppers, roasted garlic, and mozzarella cheese. The hearth-baked process blends these ingredients into a pizza that lovers of homegrown local cuisine can relish this Christmas.

With its oven-hot selection of hearth-baked pizzas, CPK is taking the Filipino palette on a delectable sleigh ride of adventure and premium taste.