The popular sit-down pizza chain is making amends for its macaroni-based fiasco.
On July 17, TikTok user Riley (@fumptruck) posted a video to his account that went viral, coming up with a meal plan that could benefit us all. In the video, Riley recounts to viewers the series of unfortunate events that occurred when he ordered mac and cheese from California Pizza Kitchen (CPK).
“I'm having the worst week of my life,” Riley says in the video. “I'm hurt, I broke up with my boyfriend, so I went to California Pizza Kitchen and ordered mac and cheese and all I got was cheese. All cheese, no macaroni.”
Riley reflected on the absurdity of her situation and chuckled as she showed viewers a takeout container full of cheese sauce but no noodles.
“There are no noodles in this,” she said, showing me the contents of her takeaway bag. “The bag is empty. There's just bread and cheese in it.”
Riley said she called the restaurant and two people told her her order was incorrect, and that her receipt showed she had ordered mac and cheese as a side.
“It's not macaroni and cheese,” she concluded.
Riley's video garnered a lot of attention, racking up more than 3.4 million views and over 4,500 comments that flooded the video like hot, sticky pasta sauce.
“You wanted macaroni and cheese? In this economy?” one person commented. Another joked, “Looks like wack and cheese.” Another said, “You got macaroni in a divorce.”
“I'm scared this will break me,” another added.
“Other people just ordered macaroni and got nothing,” another commenter joked, in a comment that received more than 27,000 likes.
It didn't go unnoticed, with many tagging the national pizza restaurant in the comments section. “@California Pizza Kitchen ummm hello???? Give this kid some free mac and cheese!!!” one wrote.
On July 19, CPK itself responded by posting a video on their official TikTok account, which has garnered a whopping 9.6 million views, in which they light-heartedly admit their mistake.
“Hey everyone, it's Chef Paul,” Paul Przybylski, CPK's vice president of culinary innovation, said in the video. “We've heard there's a little confusion about the correct way to make our mac and cheese, so we thought we'd share this video nationwide to make sure everyone knows the correct steps.”
Przybylski then explains the recipe with a blank, emotionless emoji (😐) look on his face.
“Step one: Cook the cheese. Step two: Cook the macaroni,” he said, tossing a basket of pasta into boiling water as the words “Don't forget” appeared on the screen. “Step three: Add the macaroni to the cheese. So tasty and easy.”
Przybylski concludes the video by saying that the chain prides itself on the quality of its food and its care for its customers, and in that sense the restaurant is making amends to both Riley and other customers.
“Recently, we served one of our guests only half a bowl of mac and cheese. all “Starting today and continuing through the rest of the month, our guests will be able to enjoy half-price macaroni and cheese,” he said.
The global chain, which has 200 stores, confirmed the deal to TODAY.com.
“At CPK, we take our food seriously, but that doesn't mean we don't do cheap things from time to time,” a CPK representative told TODAY.com in an email. “In this case, we clearly screwed up (or, ultimately, MAC screwed up) and unfortunately let our customer down. We are working hard to ensure this doesn't happen again, and have reached out to our customer with suggestions on how to truly make this right.”
According to CPK, the half-price macaroni sale is available to all customers who place takeout or delivery orders through the end of July. Customers can use the promo code cheeseANDmac at checkout.
The restaurant also sent a huge thank you to Riley, posting that she received a package full of dry noodles (except this time, no cheese).
The chain offered her a year's supply of free macaroni and cheese and pizza, and she read the note that came with it, which ended with CPK saying, “We are truly sorry this happened. We hope this makes things clear.”
“I'm really in shock right now,” Riley said in an update. “It was so much fun.”
For Riley, what CPK has done to make amends with her has been both overwhelming and very much appreciated.
“The internet has given me a lot of laughs when I really needed them,” Riley, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect her identity, told TODAY.com by phone. She added that she had recently ended a four-year relationship and was feeling hurt, sick and sad, but the internet had brought a little magic to her mood.
“I had felt like all was lost for a few nights before this happened, but it reminded me that there is still joy in life,” Riley said. “It made me laugh, and it sounds corny, but pardon the pun, but it really brightened my day and my spirits.”
