S3:E5 Rick Rosenfield I Spago for the Masses

"What we saw right away, and I would say that to anybody who engages in the fantasy of going into the restaurant business, in the end, it is not about the concept, it's about the people that work with you, work for you. Because if we didn't understand it was about the people, we would have died with one restaurant. I don't care how good your concept is."  Rick Rosenfield

Who doesn't like pizza? Whether a folded, oily, gooey slice consumed while standing at almost any pizza shop in New York City or at Mozza in LA where Nancy Silverton found a way to make pizza new again, this staple of the American diet is not showing any sign of slowing. My guest, Rick Rosenfield, certainly knows his way around a conversation about pizza. 

In 1985, this southside Chicago native and former federal prosecutor and defense attorney, teamed up with friend, Larry Flax, left their law practice in Los Angeles, and launched California Pizza Kitchen as an affordable, upscale pizza concept. Their first location  on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills, put the West Coast in the national pizza conversation and through their own ROCK hospitality culture - respect, opportunity, communication, kindness - they quickly grew to 250 locations in the US and abroad.

Stepping down in 2011 from leadership at CPK when it was acquired by a private-equity firm, Rick recently announced plans to return to the restaurant world with the introduction of ROCA, a specialty, Roman-style, street food pizza take-out and delivery concept, now open in Pacific Palisades and soon to open in Marina del Rey, on the west side of Los Angeles. Using premium toppings and a three-day cold fermented dough allows for the dough to appear thick like focaccia but light and airy on the inside. When reheated, it's crisp but still light and airy. 

Please join me, your host, Brad Johnson, in welcoming and learning more about Rick, a true legend in the restaurant industry, to Corner Table Talk. 

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