Rick Rosenfield is the co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant brand that helped pioneer California style pizza and introduced the world to the iconic barbecue chicken pizza.

Before launching California Pizza Kitchen, Rick spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney alongside his law partner Larry Flax. Although both had successful legal careers, they shared a passion for food and entrepreneurship. At the age of 40, they left the practice of law behind to pursue an idea. At that time they had no name, no menu and no chef.

From personally guaranteeing their first lease and borrowing $250,000 to open the restaurant, to raising additional capital from friends and family before serving a single customer, Rick shares the story behind California Pizza Kitchen's early days. He discusses how barbecue chicken pizza became an overnight sensation, the mentors who encouraged them to take the leap, the challenges of scaling from one restaurant to 25 locations in just seven years and the lessons learned from partnering with PepsiCo during one of the restaurant industry's biggest acquisitions.

Today, California Pizza Kitchen remains one of the most influential restaurant brands of the last four decades. Through his new memoir, Rick reflects on the entrepreneurial journey, leadership principles and culture that turned a bold idea into a global restaurant company.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Leaving a successful legal career at age 40 to start California Pizza Kitchen
• How the idea for California Pizza Kitchen was born
• Building a business with no menu, no chef and no restaurant experience
• Raising capital from friends, family and early investors
• Creating the legendary barbecue chicken pizza
• Opening the first California Pizza Kitchen in Beverly Hills
• Scaling from one restaurant to 25 locations in seven years
• Building a culture centered around Respect, Opportunity, Communication and Kindness (ROCK)
• Growing through shopping centers and national expansion
• Partnering with PepsiCo and the $100 million acquisition
• The challenges of rapid growth and maintaining company culture

Resources & Links
Rick’s Website: https://www.rickrosenfield.com/
Rick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-rosenfield-9185933a9

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Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
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David Liu is the founder of Kinjo, a 14 seat omakase counter and cocktail lounge in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Before launching Kinjo, David spent more than two decades building one of the internet’s most recognizable consumer brands as the co-founder and former CEO of The Knot. The wedding planning platform that helped shape the modern wedding industry. After taking the company public and eventually selling it, David found himself buying oyster farms in the Pacific Northwest and unexpectedly entering the restaurant business.

What started as a search for something more “analog” led David to oyster farming, investing in hospitality and eventually co-founding Kinjo, an affordable omakase concept designed to bring high-quality sushi experiences to local communities.

Today, David and his team are working to scale Kinjo beyond New York with plans to expand into cities across the country while using food as a way to build connection, community and cultural understanding.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Building The Knot from the early days of the internet to a public company
• Why David walked away from tech after 20 years
• Buying and operating one of the country’s largest oyster farms
• The surprising economics behind omakase restaurants
• Why David believes sushi can scale across America
• Building Kinjo and expanding into multiple cities
• Using hospitality and food to bridge cultural divides
• Lessons from working alongside his wife for decades

Resources & Links
Kinjo Website: https://www.kinjodumbo.com/
David Liu LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davdliu

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/

Franco Noriega is the founder of Fellini Coffee, one of New York City’s most popular coffee brands, with more than six locations opened in under three years. Before launching Fellini, Franco had an unconventional career path that included competing as a professional swimmer, qualifying for the Olympics, modeling for brands like Dolce & Gabbana, studying acting in New York and opening restaurants across the city.

After years in the restaurant industry building Baby Brasa, Franco discovered an overlooked corner space that had been used as a trash room for decades. That tiny 15 square foot space eventually became the first Fellini Coffee location in the West Village.

What started as a small luxury coffee window quickly turned into one of the city’s most recognizable and fastest-growing coffee brands. Today, Fellini has expanded across Manhattan with locations in Soho, Chelsea, Meatpacking, the Upper West Side and Upper East Side with even more growth planned.

In this episode, we talk about:
• Qualifying for the Olympics as a teenager
• Going from professional swimming to modeling and acting
• Becoming the face of Dolce & Gabbana with no modeling experience
• Opening Baby Brasa and nearly going bankrupt
• How the pandemic unexpectedly transformed the business
• Turning a former trash room into the first Fellini Coffee
• Building a luxury coffee brand in one of the most competitive markets in the world
• Scaling Fellini to multiple NYC locations without investors
• Using AI to streamline operations and growth

Resources & Links
Franco Noriega Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franconorhal/
Fellini Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fellinicoffee/

Made possible by Signs and Mirrors, the leading sign, fixture, and furniture shop for events and retail stores.

Opening Soon Links & Resources
→ Signs and furniture for events and retail stores: https://signsandmirrors.com
→ NYC and Houston’s first self-portrait studio: https://fotolab.studio
→ Follow us on Instagram: @openingsoonpodcast
→ More episodes and guest info: https://www.openingsoonpodcast.com
→ Your Host Alan Li: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-li-711a8629/