Exhibit 99.1

            California Pizza Kitchen to Present at the Thomas Weisel
    Partners Consumer Conference and RBC Capital Markets Consumer Conference

    LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 22, 2004--California Pizza
Kitchen, Inc. (Nasdaq:CPKI) announced today that management will be
presenting at the Thomas Weisel Partners Consumer Conference in New
York, NY on Tuesday, September 28, 2004 at 2:05 p.m. EDT and the RBC
Capital Markets Consumer Conference in Orlando, FL on Wednesday,
October 6, 2004 at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
    Interested parties can listen to an audio webcast of the Thomas
Weisel Partners and RBC Conference presentations by going to
www.cpk.com. The replay of the presentations will be available by the
end of the day and will be archived for thirty days.
    California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., founded in 1985, is a leading
casual dining chain in the premium pizza segment. The Company's full
service restaurants feature an imaginative line of hearth-baked
pizzas, including the original BBQ Chicken Pizza, and a broad
selection of distinctive pastas, salads, soups and sandwiches. The
average guest check is approximately $11.84. The chain operates,
licenses or franchises 169 restaurants as of September 22, 2004, of
which 140 are company-owned and 29 operate under franchise or license
agreements. The Company also has a licensing arrangement with Kraft
Pizza Company which manufactures and distributes a line of California
Pizza Kitchen premium frozen pizzas.
    California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. can be found on the internet at
www.cpk.com.


    CONTACT: California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.
             Sarah Grover (media) or Sue Collyns (investors)
             310-342-5000