[photo source: Pie Five]

Looks like the fast casual pizza craze is going to explode in New Jersey. After Blaze – which already opened – expect Project Pie, Uncle Maddio’s and now Pie Five to mark their territory. Pie Five Pizza Co has announced the expansion into multiple northeastern states including Southern New Jersey – we expect Northern NJ isn’t far behind.

Customers customize their own personal pie at Pie Five (View Menu) which are cooked in a custom-designed pizza oven for almost 2 and a half minutes. The pizzas are crafted from dough that’s made in-house daily with choice 4 crust types (artisan thin, classic pan, whole grain Neapolitan, and gluten-free), 7 sauces, 5 cheeses, and 28 fresh meat and vegetable toppings. The menu is rounded out with salads served in a baked pizza dough bowl and home-baked desserts. Patty Scheibmeir, the original inventor of the stuffed crust pizza, is responsible for all the recipes used at Pie Five.

Pie Five currently has 47 locations in 13 states, with more than 400 announced company-owned and franchise units in development. Full info on the pizza chain is available at the Pie Five website.