Newport Beach, CA, March 10, 2010 — zpizza, the fast casual pizza chain, has won the Libby Award for Most Vegan-Friendly Restaurant Chain from peta2, the world’s largest youth animal rights organization. The fourth annual Libby Awards (“Libby” is short for “liberation”) honor animal-friendly people and products. Visitors to peta2.com helped the group determine the winners by voting for their favorites in each category.

zpizza patrons can build their own pizza by choosing from a variety of toppings, including vegan cheese, veggie burger crumbles, artichoke hearts, arugula, roasted eggplant, zucchini, and several types of mushrooms. The chain also offers a specialty pizza called the Berkeley Vegan as well as vegan calzones, sandwiches, rustica pizza, and salads.

“It’s reassuring to know that zpizza offers vegan options that are as good to animals as they are to your taste buds,” says peta2 Street Team coordinator Rachel Owen. “We at peta2 are proud to recognize this progressive business.”

The restaurant chain won out over P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Johnny Rockets, and Moe’s Southwest Grill.

Thirty-eight Libby Awards were given out this year, recognizing everything from the most animal-friendly athlete and record label to the most animal-friendly band and clothing company.  For more about the Libby Awards and to read about all of this year’s winners, please visit peta2.com.

Fast Casual Magazine has ranked zpizza in their “Top 100 Movers & Shakers” list for 2010 – the chain’s fourth consecutive appearance. Pizza Marketing Quarterly named zpizza the 2008 PIE Award winner, dubbing zpizza the Pizza Chain of the Year. zpizza also made Entrepreneur Magazine’s exclusive 2010 Franchise 500 list for the fourth time, and ranked on Dun & Bradstreet’s AllBusiness AllStars 2010 Franchise List. zpizza has accrued customer choice awards such as AOL City Guide’s “Best Pizza” in Orange County, CA and Washingtonian Magazine’s “Best Pizza Restaurant” for four years running. PMQ placed zpizza at #33 for Top 50 U.S. Pizzerias for the 2009 Pizza Power Report.

About zpizza:

Zpizza opened their first location in 1986 in Laguna Beach, California. Featured on Good Morning America as a healthy dining option, zpizza takes a unique approach to the “Better Pizza Segment” by appealing to traditional pizza lovers, health conscious consumers and gourmet palates alike. zpizza’s menu offers 22 tasty and adventurous pizzas as well as sandwiches, calzones, salads, pastas and the opportunity to create your own pizza with a selection of premium ingredients. Our dough is made from 100% certified organic wheat prepared fresh every day, hand thrown and fire baked until uniquely crisp. We combine select ingredients such as Wisconsin skim mozzarella, 100% certified organic tomato sauce, MSG free pepperoni, and additive free sausage. Even our fresh produce sets us apart. Exotic delights like Cremini and Shitaki mushrooms, roasted eggplant, pili pili and truffle oil, pine nuts, Greek olives, roasted bell peppers and caramelized onions assure you’ll never experience a bland, boring, blasé pizza. The same holds true for our gourmet salads and sandwiches. Zpizza is a fast casual concept, with units ranging from 1,100 – 1,500 sq. ft. and seating 30 patrons.

zpizza has 95 open stores across the USA, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Mexico City, Mexico and an additional 450 locations in development.

For information on franchising with zpizza please visit www.zpizza.com