LONG BEACH, Calif. — Amir Sabetian saw a diamond in the rough the first time he visited zpizza. A general manager with California Pizza Kitchen, Sabetian knew the essential characteristics for a great concept, and he recognized several in the Newport Beach, Calif., chain. The products were fresh and flavorful, not to mention healthful.
“I could see what was working and I thought, ‘This is going to be phenomenal when they get the other legs of the stool,’� said Sabetian. “They went out of their way to buy expensive high-value ingredients like organic pizza sauce and additive-free pepperoni. What it didn’t have at the time was the décor and the ambiance, the look it needed.�
After 16 years with CPK, Sabetian became zpizza’s director of operations in 2004. zpizza president, Chris Bright, knew of “California Pizza Kitchen’s tremendous training culture� and convinced Sabetian he was the guy to implement it in the burgeoning chain.
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