Know-how
picture: CPK
February 23, 2026
California Pizza Kitchen is slicing into the way forward for upscale informal eating by ditching legacy methods in favor of AI-driven operational instruments. The 144-unit world model has partnered with Axial Shift to modernize its labor forecasting and worker engagement, reporting a major discount in labor variance.
Since its founding in 1985, CPK has been recognized for menu innovation, from its signature Barbecue Hen Pizza to its world growth. Nonetheless, firm leaders famous that whereas the meals developed, the model’s labor forecasting software program had remained stagnant.
“We wished greater than our labor software program supplier was in a position to ship,” JT Szczuka, CPK’s chief procurement officer, mentioned in a case examine. “We would have liked a extra dynamic approach to handle our labor and labor targets.”
Precision within the kitchen
For prime-volume operators, an inaccurate forecast typically results in a “lose-lose” state of affairs: over-scheduling drains the underside line, whereas under-scheduling compromises the visitor expertise.
Earlier than the pivot, CPK managers had been pressured to make fixed handbook changes to hit inner objectives. Jeremy Phillips, CPK’s senior supervisor of coaching and growth, famous that earlier platforms merely couldn’t produce an correct sufficient image of the week forward.
Since implementing Axial Shift, the variance between precise and forecasted labor has been decreased by greater than 50%. The platform makes use of AI-based forecasting to optimize scheduling, permitting managers to spend much less time on administrative duties and extra time on the ground.
Eliminating app fatigue
A key part of the partnership was consolidation. Slightly than juggling a number of platforms for scheduling, communication and reporting, CPK moved its operations right into a single interface.
The shift has streamlined the “mid-day check-in” course of. Beforehand, managers needed to manually textual content gross sales and labor updates to regional companions all through the shift. Now, that information is obtainable in actual time to all stakeholders.
“There isn’t any extra texting, as a result of the data is correct there in everybody’s arms in actual time, on a regular basis,” Phillips mentioned.
In a transfer to help its hourly workforce, the corporate additionally highlighted that the Axial Shift app is free for staff members to obtain, eradicating the “pay-to-work” barrier seen with another third-party scheduling instruments.
Gamifying the visitor examine
Past the back-office efficiencies, the platform has launched a aggressive aspect to the eating room. By way of “challenges,” staff can observe their gross sales of particular gadgets — reminiscent of comfortable hour drinks or appetizer specials — in actual time.
In accordance with Kristi Leon, CPK’s senior director of IT restaurant methods, this transparency has pushed participation in suggestive promoting contests. Whereas the first objective of the tech overhaul was labor administration, Szczuka famous the income increase was a welcome facet impact.
“The gamification functionality was such an added bonus,” Szczuka mentioned. “The platform pleasantly shocked us with extra instruments to assault one other alternative in our eating places — elevating common examine.”
