With the NBA playoffs in full swing, we see the advantage going to the intense players who are elevating their game to another level. In the game of investing, meanwhile, California Pizza Kitchen (NASDAQ:CPKI) is looking like the hot player to put your bets on.

In the quarterly earnings conference call, CEO Rick Rosenfield said he was "very pleased" with the company's latest performance. Revenues increased 17.6% compared with the same period a year ago. And it's not simply new restaurant openings that are driving growth -- the company enjoyed a 6.4% jump in same-store sales versus the year-ago level. Fueling sales were increased customer traffic, new menu items, and solid gains from the company's gift-card program. New premium pizza additions, such as the Milan Neapolitan Pizza, is one area that the company will continue to focus on to generate new and repeat traffic.

Beyond in-store growth initiatives, new unit expansion will be an area of intense focus going forward. Over the past year, the company increased its unit count by 9%, and in the conference call, management indicated that a solid foundation has now been set in place by which it can significantly increase new restaurant openings. Since full-service restaurants have the greatest impact on the bottom line, the company will continue to rely on these unit types to be its core driver of growth.

That doesn't mean it's neglecting the fast casual market, however. On the contrary, it sees its "CPK ASAP" quick-serve concept as a way to engage other traditional pizza makers who operate in the same niche. Management stated that its position in the overall pizza industry allows it to capitalize on "each market segment and drive stockholder value."

Finally, the international market will be another area the company focuses on. Rosenfield indicated that recent meetings with representatives in Hong Kong and Japan suggest that the international market is ripe for growth.

When you consider that California Pizza Kitchen operates only 192 restaurants, you can understand why Rosenfield believes that the growth opportunity "is significant over the next three to five years." The primary factor that will moderate growth, however, is the company's capital structure -- each new site requires roughly $2.5 million in total invested capital. The company only has a little more than $21 million in cash and marketable securities, so unless it plans to initiate a significant leveraging strategy or a secondary equity offering, unit growth will not be rampant.

Yet that's a good thing -- deliberate, moderated growth is much better than the rapid, incoherent variety. And it is the methodical, intentional strategy that California Pizza is aiming for.

For any investor with a three- to five-year horizon, this concept warrants a closer look.

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Fool contributor Jeremy MacNealy does not own shares of any companies mentioned.