Now that California Pizza Kitchen Inc. has a deal to sell its barbecue chicken pizzas and other items at Staples Center, the Los Angeles chain is selling its fare at three local sports stadiums.
The company has reached an agreement with Levy Restaurants, the vendor in charge of food at the arena, and started selling pizzas last week at Staples. It is also becoming an official sponsor of the Los Angeles Kings in partnership with Kraft Foods Inc., which will help share the cost of advertising.
“We are being seen by families and that’s our business,” said Larry Flax, co-chairman and co-chief executive of CPK.
The move comes at a time when California Pizza Kitchen is expanding its brand internationally as well. Flax just returned from a franchise opening in Seoul, South Korea. Another location was just opened in the Philippines.
The agreement means the brand will now appear in three Southern California stadiums. The company’s first venture into sports was with Levy and the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. California Pizza Kitchen extended that sponsorship by three years and also signed a three-year agreement with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
One significant change from last year’s experience at Dodger Stadium is that pizzas at all venues will be assembled with fresh ingredients rather than frozen and reheated.
“It makes a difference,” said Flax. “It is a step-up in terms of having toppings that are fresh.”
As for other stadiums, Flax has been pleased with the response that he’s received thus far and expects to go to more stadiums in other cities in the future.
Bank Shot
The Los Angeles Lakers and Pasadena-based East West Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of East West Bancorp, announced a partnership for the current season. The sponsorship includes television and arena rights to have the company’s name announced at a game’s tip-off.
“There is a nice connection between the east and west baskets and our goal of bridging ties between Asia and America,” said Emily Wang, senior vice president of East West.
The deal also gives East West involvement in community efforts. The company will be a sponsor for the Lakers’ various holiday events under the Season of Giving program and other community events throughout the year.
East West will invite some of the non-profit and youth organizations that it works with in the community to take part in events co-sponsored with the team. Some players, coaches and Laker Girls are expected to make various appearances at these events.
“The community part is the core for both organizations,” said Wang. “It’s a very important part of our business model.”
Tennis Team
Riviera Country Club will host the inaugural Bank of the West Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic next month. The event will be hosted by former University of Southern California stars and professional tennis champions Luke and Murphy Jensen on Dec. 8.
For San Francisco-based Bank of the West, the tournament gives it an opportunity to expand its tennis sponsorship in Southern California, one of its target areas for growth. The bank is adding branches in the area and expects this sponsorship to help build brand awareness. It has about 700 total branches, with about 85 in Southern California.
“We think that tennis is an excellent sport to sponsor and it was important to sponsor an event that had a charitable component,” said Rick Davis, executive vice president.
Proceeds from the event will benefit organizations for special needs and underprivileged youth, including Jensen-Schmidt Tennis Academy for Down Syndrome, which helps children with the condition enjoy sports.
In Northern California, it sponsors the first stop on the women’s U.S. Open Series tennis tour at Stanford University. It will be a presenting sponsor at the 2007 Davis Cup tennis finals in Portland, Ore., from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
Coach Carroll
This season’s college football championship hopes for University of Southern California are finished, but for Coach Pete Carroll, he is trying to retain his image as a winner.
Carroll hired Boston-based Paid Inc., a celebrity management firm, to oversee his Web site design and management. The company will also be responsible for his branding and merchandising.
The move could mean increased revenue for the coach from speaking engagements and memorabilia sales. According to the newly released Davie Brown Celebrity Index, a quarterly survey conducted by L.A.-based Davie Brown Entertainment, Carroll ranks highly among active and retired coaches.
Staff reporter David Nusbaum can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 236, or at [email protected].
