In just over a month, Nashville's pizza-lovers will get to experience a new take on one of America's favorite foods. Blaze Pizza, the fast-casual, build-your-own pizza chain, announced today that it will be opening its first Nashville location in Brentwood. The restaurant will be located at 7011 Executive Center Drive in the shopping area off of Franklin Road.
Blaze Pizza can be described as a modern day "pizza joint," known for its custom-built artisanal pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade, and s'more pies. The fast-casual concept, with its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, has custom-built its newest location specifically to suit the 2500-square-foot space. The atmosphere has an industrial feel with orange and red accents, including the centerpiece of the restaurant — their open-flame oven. The restaurant offers seating for 70, with additional seats on an outdoor patio.
Unlike traditional pizza chains, Blaze features an interactive assembly-line format that allows guests to customize one of the menu's signature pizzas or create their own, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, artisanal ingredients — all for under $8. The 11-inch pizzas are then sent to the oven where pizzasmiths ensure that the thin-crust pies are "fast-fire'd" and ready to eat in just 180 seconds.
"The Nashville community is overdue for a shake-up when it comes to their average pizza chain," says Mike Niznik, Blaze operating partner in Tennessee and Nashville resident. "Blaze Pizza delivers a customized pizza experience with the artisanal quality that Nashvillians have come to expect, but now without the wait."
Blaze Pizza makes its own dough from scratch using a recipe developed by critically acclaimed Executive Chef Brad Kent ("The Pizza Whisperer"), which requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce his signature light-as-air, crisp crust. The restaurant's menu of pizzas and salads features ingredients ranging from inventive to classic and accommodates a range of dietary needs, with gluten-free dough and Vegan cheese. The restaurant will also offer a selection of craft beers.
The Nashville location will be managed by the Louisville, Kentucky-based Millennial Restaurant Group (MRG), which is franchising the concept in four states including Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. The partnership consists of James Patterson Sr., Jim Patterson II, Ulysses (Junior) Bridgeman, Wayne Albritton, and Collins Cogan.
