Pizza Marketplace.com:
Laguna Beach, Calif.-based zpizza is cultivating new stores in its home region. The company has finalized a contract with new franchisee ZP-Brea LLC to open a new restaurant in Brea, Calif.
The unit is expected to open in the second quarter of 2011.
The partners of ZP-Brea have experience in the foodservice, manufacturing and commercial real estate industries, a combination that gave them confidence going into the deal.
“We have spent several years traveling the country, speaking to franchisors and franchisees within the fast casual marketplace,” said Richard Kato, operating partner. “We knew that our backgrounds in food and real estate would leverage well within the restaurant franchise industry.”