Wheat State Pizza is expanding again – to Emporia next week and Manhattan by the end of the year.

The Lawrence-based pizza chain plans to open its fifth shop either Monday or Tuesday in space along Commercial Street in downtown Emporia, the hometown of Wheat State founder and co-owner Ryan Murphy.

Murphy, 29, opened his first shop in June 2004 at The Malls shopping center at 23rd and Louisiana streets in Lawrence, and already has branched out into Baldwin, downtown Overland Park and, three weeks ago, Gardner.

Next on his list are a couple more corporate stores in Johnson County, plus a new growth vehicle: franchises. He already has commitments for two franchise shops elsewhere in the Kansas City area and one in Manhattan, home to Kansas State University.

“Our company’s taking off,” Murphy said Wednesday, behind the counter at his flagship store in The Malls. “It’s the most fun time in my life.”

Wheat State Pizza has about 75 employees, Murphy said, and sales have been rising at each location. Revenues are pumped back into the company, financing the new stores.

Wheat State’s expansions come as another Kansas-grown pizza franchisee – Pittsburg-based NPC International, the world’s largest franchisee of Pizza Huts with 790 restaurants and delivery kitchens – agreed earlier this week to be sold to a financing arm of Merrill Lynch.

Murphy isn’t ready to claim such success yet, but he figures that his company’s rapid growth and continued customer acceptance bodes well for the future.

“Our growth is heading there,” Murphy said. “Who knows what the future’s going to bring? It’s just a matter of keeping the customers happy.”

Murphy started in the pizza business as a manager of Gambino’s locations in the Kansas City area, then moved on to Papa John’s and Domino’s.