Cleveland-based PIZZAFIRE, led by renowned restaurant franchisor Sean Brauser and five-time World Pizza Champion and celebrity chef Bruno DiFabio, is catching fire.

PIZZAFIRE awarded franchise or area development agreements in California, Connecticut, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. PIZZAFIRE is projecting to have 50 units open by then end of 2017. “We have had an amazing year in 2016. We have built our corporate infrastructure, identified our demographic, improved our in-store experience, differentiated ourselves in the Fast Casual Pizza Segment, and have been very selective with our Franchise partners. We are ready for massive expansion,” says franchise development director Ryan Rao. “All the activity we have had this year is starting to yield results and potential franchisees are taking notice. PIZZAFIRE expects to award Franchise Agreements in an addition five states as well as internationally by the end of 2016.”

PIZZAFIRE is a fast casual Neapolitan pizza restaurant serving hand crafted pizzas built right in front of you with your choice of five premium cheeses, hand cut fresh veggies, artisan GMO-free meats, and six sauces made from scratch—like their Authentic Neapolitan Pizza Sauce, with hand crushed tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh basil. “We only use pear tomatoes from Northern California that are picked and fresh packed within two hours, so they are naturally sweet,” says founder and CEO Sean Brauser, “then we painstakingly hand crush each one so that the natural flavor of the tomato explodes.”