Hallmarking the company’s presence in the state, the leasing agreement includes 2,286 square feet located in the heart of the Short North in the former Emack and Bolio’s space between the Northstar Café and newly opened bicycle shop, Paradise Garage.

Steve Curtis and his wife Erin are the driving force behind the new West coast based restaurant and chose the Short North because of its reputation as one of the best, developing urban neighborhoods in Columbus.

“We spent over a year working with NAI Ohio Equities looking at possible locations across Columbus and after having lived in the neighborhood while my wife Erin was in college at OSU, we immediately fell in love with what was happening here,” Curtis said. “It continues to grow at such a rapid pace and zpizza’s organic, healthy alternative lends itself well to the dynamic neighborhood.”

NAI Ohio Equities agent Matt Gregory specializes in tenant representation and agreed that the Short North area was a great match for the zpizza franchise and Curtis’ business model.

“Retailers who come to the Short North area love the large pedestrian customer base that live in the area,” Gregory said. “The Short North area specifically was being underserved in terms of organic pizza options and the addition of zpizza brings good synergy with the other retailers and restaurateurs in the area.”

Planned to open in Columbus this September, zpizza has been featured as a healthy dining option that takes a unique approach to the crowded pizza segment by appealing to traditional pizza lovers, health conscious consumers and gourmet palates alike. Zpizza’s menu will offer 17 tasty and adventurous pizzas as well as sandwiches, salads, calzones and the opportunity to create your own pizza with a selection of premium ingredients —including whole wheat, organic sauces, low-fat cheeses, veggies and other toppings. Although the restaurant will open without a liquor license, there are plans to obtain one in the future.

“We wanted to give residents in the Short North a fast and affordable lunch option that includes pizza by the slice, but still meet their needs of higher quality and healthy choices,” Curtis said. “Being close to the business district as well as Victorian Village, Italian Village and the flood of downtown housing, we plan to draw on the restaurant options of catering, delivery and fast casual dining.”

About zpizza
Founded in the art colony of Laguna Beach, California, zpizza has over 75 locations open and another 400 in ongoing development nationwide. The company expects to have more than 100 open units by the end of 2008. For more information about please contact Steve Curtis at 614-439-8029.

About NAI Ohio Equities
Operating as central Ohio’s largest locally owned commercial real estate company; NAI Ohio Equities has been serving the Columbus real estate market for more than 37 years.  Located downtown in the Columbus Brewery District, NAI Ohio Equities is comprised of a team of 32 agents making up an experienced Brokerage Department specializing in land, retail, office, investment and industrial real estate.  In addition to the Brokerage Department, NAI Ohio Equities has a reputable Property Management Division managing more than 12 million square feet of property. As an affiliate of NAI Global, Ohio Equities is part of a network of 5,000 professionals working in 350 offices in more than 500 key markets around the world. For more information on NAI Ohio Equities or the NAI Ohio Equities/Anderson Layman Eastern Ohio Branch, including available brokerage and property management services visit www.ohioequities.com or please call 614-224-2400.