Fouad Qreitem, CEO of the Northern Virginia–based Paisano’s, announced that the chain signed development agreements for home-state expansion. The new growth is slated for Springfield and Burke, Virginia. Both represent extremely appealing demographics from a business and bedroom community standpoint.

The new Paisano’s owners will be husband and wife team Hatem Rizkalla and Nashwa Kawkab. In a joint statement, both said, “We’ve been looking for a sound business investment and came to the conclusion that this opportunity was perfect for us. Paisano’s product is amazing; we’ve eaten the pizza, wings, strombolis, salads, and sandwiches at various Paisanos’ over the years and always found the food consistently top-notch. Add to that the well-established gourmet pizza delivery brand that is Paisano’s and we just thought it represented the sort of investment that suited us best.”

Mike Halpern of Franchise Consulting LLC in Fairfax, Virginia, is committed to growing the Paisano’s footprint in Virginia, Maryland, and the greater Washington, D.C. area.