Rick Rosenfield, the original co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen, along with his wife Esther, announces the forthcoming opening of ROCA – an elevated fast-casual interpretation of Roman-style street food pizza “al taglio,” which translates to “by-the-cut.” Rick and Esther are joined by Chief Development Officer & Chief Operating Officer Steve Rich, Director of Operations Ohad Yosef, and Executive Pizza Chef Luigi Roditis. Opening Friday, May 28, 2021 as a pop-up experience at The Americana at Brand in Glendale, the restaurant celebrates the Roman origin of its style of pizza (“RO”) with a California-inspired ethos (“CA”), which blends creativity and commitment to premium products and ingredients sourced locally and internationally: think fresh produce from the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, specialty cheeses, etc.; but what really sets ROCA apart is its artisan dough, perfected down to a science after more than 70 years of research and development in Rome, and discovered by the Rosenfields a decade ago. On opening weekend, guests will enjoy a limited menu of pizzas with outdoor patio dining and cuts or pans to-go, with delivery options available in the coming weeks exclusively via Caviar and DoorDash. The pop-up serves as a prelude to two ROCA brick-and-mortar locations opening in Fall 2021 on Los Angeles’ Westside, including Caruso’s Marina del Rey development, Waterside.