Z Pizza's natural ingredients include organic tomato sauce, Montana winter wheat, fresh produce, additive-free meats, and low-fat mozzarella and soy cheeses. The pizza chain also sells fresh, artisan salads made of sweet mixed greens and uses high-quality ingredients.

For Z Pizza, acquiring a slice of the pie in the pizza business took ideas and ingredients that were both fresh and innovative, it says. The Newport Beach, Calif.-based gourmet pizza maker is serving a niche market by creating healthy pizza from fresh and natural ingredients.

The concept of Z Pizza was formed by Southern California resident Sid Fanarof, who opened the first store in 1986 in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Fanarof's intent was to provide pizza that featured unique flavor profiles and healthy ingredients in a fast-casual dining setting, says Z Pizza President Chris Bright. In 1999, Z Pizza began franchising the business and established four new locations in California.

In 2002, Bright took on the role of president for Z Pizza. As the founding principal of Fransmart—a franchise development company—Bright knew the business had potential to expand throughout the United States because of its healthy focus. Under Bright's franchising expertise, the pizza company transformed from an entrepreneurial venture into a professional franchising company headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif.

Fresh Ingredients
To put an end to the perception that healthy food lacks flavor, Z Pizza created more than 17 unique flavor options for its specialty pizzas, Bright explains. Menu options range from Thai- and Mexican-inspired pies to signature pizzas such as the Tuscan mushroom, topped with three different types of mushrooms, drizzled with truffle oil and sprinkled with fresh thyme.

Z Pizza's natural ingredients include organic tomato sauce, Montana winter wheat, fresh produce, additive-free meats, and low-fat mozzarella and soy cheeses. The pizza chain also sells fresh, artisan salads made of sweet mixed greens and uses high-quality ingredients.

The company purchases products from boutique manufacturers who specialize in choice ingredients from California and Wisconsin. Dealing with small manufacturers required the company to connect with food distributor Sysco Corp. to form a national distribution network that ships products to its national franchisees. Bright said by doing so, each franchise can provide the same quality and natural ingredients of the flagship location.

Brand Development
To develop Z Pizza's franchising program, Bright implemented systems and processes to support the brand. "It was a real endeavor to compartmentalize every concept," Bright says. "We really took a scientific approach to analyze the real estate and to evaluate the best customer model to determine the quality of the population within each area."

Bright explains that the company researches the most viable location for each franchise and creates consumer profiles through interviewing customers who have visited the restaurant. Since franchising efforts began in 1999, Bright says 54 locations have opened in nine states, including Arizona, Kansas, North Carolina and Tennessee. Bright estimates another 36 units will open by the end of 2007.

The success of each location depends on its locale and the dedication of each franchisee, Bright explains. "We're looking for franchisees that want to build the business. The most coveted franchisee is the multi-unit operator of a non-competing brand," Bright says.

Starting a restaurant requires a $25,000 franchisor's fee for the initial location and a $10,000 deposit for each additional location to secure a territory. Each restaurant ranges between 1,000 and 1,500 square feet. To capture the niche market, Bright explains that Z Pizza places franchises in areas where people are well-educated, with mid- to high-income levels.

"Consumers in that category tend to be more worldly and accepting of [unique] ingredients like cremini mushrooms, feta cheese or truffle oil," Bright says.

Inside the facilities, Bright says groups of tables, couches and oversized lounge chairs with ottomans provide a comfortable dining option for guests. Z Pizza offers dine-in, take-out, delivery and catering at each location. "We've worked very hard [over] the years to make sure we have a consistent look across the board," Bright notes. "With fast-casual, we're talking about a look and feel of a restaurant that is more upscale than other fast-food chains."

Healthy Competition
Will the healthy pizza alternative catch on in other areas of the country? Bright thinks so. Launching franchises beyond the West Coast, which is known for its health-conscious eating habits, wasn't something he worried about because people in general are looking to eat better. "We have proven that the product is exportable," Bright says. In fact, he says the once-modest goals he set to grow the company have now "been blown away by expanding into new markets."

Although the traditional pizza market is crowded, fewer franchises can boast healthy, gourmet pizza ingredients, Bright explains. He says the company faces competition from only a handful of health-driven, independently owned pizza companies operating in the United States.