According to LATimes.com, “After more than a year of searching for a buyer, California Pizza Kitchen said Wednesday that it would be acquired by the private equity firm Golden Gate Capital for $470 million.”

Officials from Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) announced they have signed a multi-year agreement with Hungry Howie’s Pizza, the locally-based pizza franchisor, to become the official pizza of The Palace, DTE Energy Music Theatre and the Detroit Pistons and to open Hungry Howie’s locations at The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre. Per organizational policy, details of the agreement were undisclosed.

Pizza Pizza has made its mark on mobile shopping with the launch of its first-ever iPhone app. This month, the Canadian-based pizza chain was honoured with a Webby Award, a prestigious international web-based award that recognizes excellence on the internet. The company’s one-of-a-kind smartphone ordering application was named the best shopping tool for a handheld device, just over a month after its launch.

Operators will enjoy double the brand power with KRAFT Honey Dijon Dressing made with GREY POUPON, a deliciously versatile dressing that combines two powerhouse brands into one rich and flavorful offering.

MICROS Systems, Inc., a leading provider of information technology solutions for the hospitality and retail industries, is pleased to announce that Los Angeles-based Mobi Munch, Inc. is incorporating MICROS’s centrally-hosted Simphony enterprise point- of-service solution into its cutting-edge “Integrated Food Truck Technology Suite” that is installed in every Mobi Munch mobile food venue. This integrated solution will provide truck owners with a comprehensive enterprise-management system for top-of-the-line ordering, payment, marketing, and even social networking solutions.

According to AdAge.com, “Domino’s Pizza, a company whose slogan was once “Get the door, it’s Domino’s,” is launching a national campaign focusing on something quite different: carry-out.”

SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza announces plans to open its fifth Kansas City area location in the Prairie Creek Shops, currently under development at 95th Street and Renner Road in Lenexa, Ks. Known for its award-winning artisan food without the gourmet price, SPIN! plans to open a 3,500 square foot restaurant in January 2012. The newest SPIN! will offer seating for 100, a bar, and an outdoor patio that seats 48.

According to Money.CNN.com, “There’s nothing hotter than a pizza fresh out of the oven — except pizza restaurant stocks.”

It has emerged that Lady Gaga had sent boxes of pizza to her fans who waited for her performance on US comedy show, Saturday Night Live as a sign of appreciation.

According to the Sacramento Bee, “Plano, Texas-based Pizza Hut his week became the first national pizza chain to launch an ordering application for the iPad. The nation’s largest pizza chain also launched an app for smartphones running the Android system.”

Today, Flippers Pizzeria revealed details on how the company has enhanced the customer dine-in experience over the past year and how it plans to further enhance it in 2011.

According to Bloomberg.com, “Sbarro Inc., a chain of fast-food Italian restaurants, is negotiating an offer that’s more valuable than the plan it entered bankruptcy with in April, a person familiar with the matter said.”

Rotolo’s Pizzeria has expanded its franchise to one of Louisiana residents’ hottest vacation spots, Orange Beach, AL. Now open and located at 25755 Perdido Beach Blvd., Rotolo’s Pizzeria offers beach visitors and residents dine-in, take-out and catering seven days a week.

According to Mashable.com, “Pizza Hut is set to introduce iPad and Android apps that expand on the chain’s successful iPhone app to let you order pizza from anywhere. New features of the apps, which launched Thursday, include access to the full Pizza Hut menu and limited time offers, guest checkout that lets customers order without checking in and a “most popular” items section.”

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, “No matter how large a marketing department it has, a restaurant company simply can’t respond to every complaint or question it receives on its Facebook wall.”

Smoke has wafted its way on the list of the top 2011 food trends, according to Nations Restaurant News. Leading the way is The Smoked Olive, a new olive oil that has been lauded by celebrity chefs, specialty food buyers and food enthusiasts throughout the country.

Cono Italiano, Inc., the exclusive license holder for the North American Distribution and Manufacturing rights for “Pizza Cono”, a one-of-a-kind, drip-free, cone shaped pizza made from proprietary dough, is pleased to announce that Food Network has featured the pizza cone on their website FoodNetwork.com and in a recent segment of Unwrapped called “Crazy Containers”.

According to WSFA.com, “Helping put Alabama’s tornado ravaged cities back on the right path one pizza pie at a time, the world’s largest pizza chain announced Tuesday how much money was raised during a day long fundraiser.”

Villa Enterprises Management Ltd., Inc. (and its affiliates, Villa Enterprises), the global multi-concept restaurant franchisor, announced today the grand opening of two new Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen Puerto Rico locations.

Four University of Wisconsin-Stout packaging majors believe they have built a better pizza box. Their innovative design is recyclable, reusable, versatile and even helps pizza taste better.

According to QSRMagazine.com, “Pizza Ranch announced that, to accommodate customers with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, it has rolled out a gluten-free crust for its pizzas.”

According to the New York Times, “A brand of frozen pizza is getting tough with the people who deliver pizzas to consumers’ homes.”

According to DailyMarkets.com, “California Pizza Kitchen, Inc. recently posted first quarter 2011 earnings of 9 cents per share, which was above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 6 cents per share and the company’s guided range of 3 cents to 5 cents per share. However, reported earnings missed the prior-year quarter earnings by a penny. The better-than-expected results were driven by menu optimization program, which focus on higher margin menu items and cost control.”

According to SeattlePI.com, “Former Godfather’s Pizza CEO and radio talk show host Herman Cain was a surprise victor in a straw poll of GOP presidential candidates held at State Republicans’ 29th Annual Spring Gala on Friday.”

According to MyDesert.com, “The first round of the 2011 pizza battle has Papa John’s International gaining on its larger rivals.”

New Orleans-based Naked Pizza, the all-natural pizza franchisor on a mission to change the nutritional profile of the fast food industry, has chosen Phoenix (AZ) as the site for its new corporate development hub – a plan which includes building and operating at least 12 corporate-owned store locations with six to open by the end of 2011.

To help support tornado relief efforts in Alabama, Pizza Hut restaurants throughout the state will host a fundraising event Thursday, May 12, from open to close. For all dine-in, carryout and delivery orders on this day, 15 percent of sales will go to benefit the United Way to assist the victims of the impacted communities. Every Pizza Hut restaurant in Alabama will participate in the event.

According to Westport-News.com, “The president and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza has been honored by Boys Town for the national chain’s sponsorship of its youth programs.”