Gourmet pizza chain eyes Springs' market

zpizza, a Southern California-based gourmet pizza chain (http://zpizza.com), is searching for a franchisee to develop multiple stores in the Colorado Springs territory, says company spokeswoman Katie Magers. The typical franchise agreement is between three and five units and usually the franchisee opens one store per year. The company, which is looking to open stores all over the state, has a particular interest in Colorado Springs, which was recently ranked number six in Men's Fitness magazine's annual Fittest Cities ranking. "We feel like zpizza is a perfect match for Colorado and its residents," said Chris Bright, zpizza president. "Locals in the state live healthy lifestyles and enjoy great food." zpizza currently has one franchised store open in Denver and another 60 locations open nationwide. The chain is looking to have more than 100 stores open by the end of 2007.