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Rapid Fired Pizza now headed south and west with latest restaurant

Rapid Fired Pizza is expanding its footprint with the chain's first Butler County location.

The Kettering-based chain — which opened its first restaurant less than a year ago — has signed a lease to open at 7 W. High St. in Oxford near Miami University, according to Rapid Fired co-founder Kelly Gray. The restaurant will move into a 2,800-square-foot space currently occupied by an Orange Leaf Yogurt shop, on the first floor of a building that includes 50 student apartment units.

The restaurant will seat about 60 inside and additional diners on a patio. It will employ 20 to 30, Gray said.

“We’re hoping to open in mid-December,” Gray said. Hiring for crew members will begin in November.

RELATED: Quick-serve pizza chains battle over Dayton market

Rapid Fired opened its first restaurant in late 2015 in Washington Twp. and also operates restaurants in Fairborn, Sugarcreek Twp., Huber Heights and Springfield, in addition to a Lima franchise location that opened less than two weeks ago. Additional locations are in various stages of development in Troy, Englewood, Kettering, Beavercreek, Bowling Green, Westerville and Montgomery in northern Cincinnati.

RELATED: Rapid Fired Pizza opens 6th location today; 25 more coming

Gray said the chain is expected to double in size from six to 12 by the end of the year, and another potential 15 locations are in various stages of lease negotiations.

Rapid Fired Pizza restaurants have a quick-service concept, utilizing a serving line in which customers pick out the toppings for their 11-inch thin-crust or 9-inch pan pizza. Customers can choose from eight sauces, eight cheeses, more than 30 toppings, and 14 dipping sauces to build their pizza. The pie is then cooked to order in just under three minutes in a high-temperature oven.

RELATED: 2 restaurants open their 1st Dayton-area locations tomorrow

A Cleveland-based competitor with a similar concept and name, PizzaFire, is scheduled to open its first Dayton-area restaurant Tuesday, Aug. 30 on Far Hills Avenue in Kettering, and intends to add other locations in the region. And another quick-serve pizza chain, Seattle-based MOD Pizza, is scheduled to open restaurants in Englewood and in the Cornerstone of Centerville development in the coming months.

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