Driven by a solid improvement in restaurant operators’ outlook for sales growth, capital spending plans and staffing levels, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) rose to its highest level in 27 months in February.

Flippers Pizzeria (flipperspizzeria.com), known for firing up perfect, handcrafted pizzas in their authentic brick-ovens, is taking their successful 23-year-old concept to the national franchise market.

According to the New York Times, “There was a television crew in Motorino in Williamsburg a couple of weeks ago, Michelle Park from NY1 shooting a segment with the restaurant’s chef, the elegant young Mathieu Palombino. He smiled shyly in chef’s whites.”

According to CeleBuzz.com, “Does Heidi Klum have a great life, or what? Loving husband. Beautiful kids. Fame. Fortune. And, perhaps best of all, pizza!”

Find out how some pizzerias have turned the age-old “cold pizza for breakfast” tradition to their advantage.

Public Media Works, Inc. /quotes/comstock/11k!pubm (PUBM 0.80, +0.10, +14.29%) announced today that EntertainmentXpress has entered into an agreement with Pizza Hut franchisee Aurora Huts LLC of Mars, Pennsylvania.