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California Pizza Kitchen hires Texas Roadhouse chief as CEO

By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times
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When choosing its new chief executive, California Pizza Kitchen Inc. went for a taste of Texas-style steak by way of Kentucky.

The new boss of the Los Angeles-based casual dining company will be G.J. Hart — recently CEO of western-themed chain Texas Roadhouse Inc., based in Louisville, Ky.

CPK said Thursday that Hart would replace co-founders Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax. The two former federal prosecutors launched the chain’s first restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1985.

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Last month, CPK was acquired by San Francisco private equity firm Golden Gate Capital for $470 million. The company sells its food at more than 250 California Pizza Kitchen restaurants as well as in stadiums and the frozen food aisles of grocery stores.

Hart, who had been with Texas Roadhouse for a decade, will be replaced there by W. Kent Taylor. Taylor will remain chairman of the company as well.

tiffany.hsu@latimes.com

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Tiffany Hsu

Tiffany Hsu is a former staff writer for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she wrote about the California economy, fast food, restaurants, retail and alternative energy for the Business section. A Bay Area native, UC Berkeley graduate and eternal Nor-Cal fan, she once worked for the San Francisco Bay Guardian. She also did a stint at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she developed a passion for sweet tea. She still has faith that someday she’ll find two economists who agree.

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