Last year, Arizona-based Fired Pie entered the dining scene in metro Phoenix as the first fast-casual pizza restaurant in the area. Now, the eatery plans to double its store locations by fall of 2014, going from four to eight. The fast-casual movement has continued to see an upward trend. For the fifth consecutive year it has surpassed that of every other restaurant segment, according to research from The NPD Group.

“We are responding to the demand of all the pizza lovers in the community,” says Fred Morgan, one of the restaurants three founders. “We are listening to our customers and opening up more locations.”

This week the restaurant opens its fifth location off Greenway-Hayden Loop and Scottsdale Road in North Scottsdale. A downtown location is set to open at the Collier Center and another location will open in downtown Tucson. The eighth location will open in Ahwatukee Foothills at the Towne Center complex.

“We are excited to launch in a new market as we feel there is a lot of growth in Tucson,” says cofounder Doug Doyle. “We are excited to expand to the southern half of the state.”

Fired Pie allows guests to take on the role of chef by picking and choosing their own type of dough, sauce, and toppings. The pizzeria also offers build-your-own salads. The concept behind the restaurant was born from the minds of Morgan, Doyle, and Rico Cuomo. The trio worked together for more than 15 years, rising through the ranks of California Pizza Kitchen.

“On any given night you will see one of us working behind the counter,” Cuomo says. “We are hands on and proud of what we do and what we have been able to accomplish thus far.”