Zpizza signs multi-unit franchise deal

Newport Beach, Calif. — Southern California-based gourmet pizza chain zpizza recently signed a franchise agreement for two stores in the Redlands and Riverside, Calif., areas. Franchisee Erwin Pascua expects to open the first store by early 2008.

"California is the flagship state for zpizza and has the largest collection of stores in the country," Pascua said. "I can't wait to open our stores so that Californians in our area can experience zpizza's creative and fresh menu."

Zpizza has 39 open stores in California and more than 20 are in development throughout the state. The company expects to have more than 100 open units in the U.S. by mid-2008, according to a news release.