California Pizza Kitchen Inc. said Thursday quarterly net income more than tripled from a year ago, but the restaurant chain lowered its earnings forecast for 2008.

Los Angeles-based California Pizza said after the market closed that third-quarter net income rose to $4.96 million (20 cents per share), from $1.40 million (5 cents) a year ago when it had costs related to store closures.

Total revenue rose 7.4 percent to $174 million, although same-store sales fell 2.4 percent. The results met expectations of analysts surveyed by Reuters Estimates.

Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax, co-chief executives, said in a statement that “consumer distractions” such as the Olympics, the political conventions and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav accounted for about 1 percent of the decline, but they also said the economic downturn was a factor.

The company lowered its full-year earnings forecast to 60 cents to 63 cents per share, compared to a previous estimate of 65 cents to 70 cents.

California Pizza Kitchen shares closed down 1.2 percent to $9.71 on the Nasdaq, and fell another 12 cents to $9.21 in after-marketing trading