D.C.’s &pizza plans to expand to more than 300 locations by the end of the decade across the country through franchising, but its first franchise deal is right here in D.C.

The local franchise operator, Isaiah Williams, has acquired three of &pizza’s existing restaurants, including Navy Yard, U Street, and its original location on H Street Northeast, which opened in 2012.

Williams is a former NCAA football standout at the University of Arizona snd University of Virginia – Lynchburg.

&pizza CEO Mike Burns, who replaced co-founder Micheal Astoria as chief executive last year, said the company is currently in discussions with several additional franchise operators it expects to finalize soon. The goal, he said, was to expand beyond the East Coast market.

&pizza has taken tts oval-shaped pizzas to 45 locations across D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City through its company-owned model.

Astoria brought Burns, a former Bojangles executive, onboard to return the chain to its roots of rebellious branding and employee-focused policies that defined the chain in its early years.

&pizza was a pioneer in fast-baked conveyer belt assembly line-style pizza preparation. &pizza is the second-largest locally-based restaurant chain, behind Alexandria, Virginia-based Five Guys Burgers and Fries.