The weather may be cooling down, but a hot new restaurant—Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza—will be firing it up in Garner, North Carolina, this December.
Fast-casual, build-your-own pizza concept, Blaze Pizza, announced plans to open their second Raleigh-Durham area location in Garner at 140 Cabela Drive near Cabela’s and Five Guys. The North Carolina Blazin’ Blue franchise group, which opened their first location in Morrisville, North Carolina, last year, is excited to bring this deliciously different pizza option to Garner.
Blaze Pizza is a modern-day “pizza joint” that has been inspiring excitement and cultivating fanatics for its custom-built artisanal pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade, and s’more pies since it opened its first location in 2012. Each restaurant features an interactive open-kitchen format that allows guests to customize one of the menu’s signature pizzas or create their own, choosing from a wide selection of carefully sourced, high-quality ingredients—all for under $8. The generously sized personal pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot, open-flame oven—the centerpiece of the restaurant—where dedicated pizzasmiths ensure that the thin-crust pies are fast-fire’d and ready to eat in just 180 seconds.
“We are thrilled to be opening our second North Carolina location right here in Garner,” says Russell Hansen, operating partner for Blaze Pizza in North Carolina. “At Blaze, we are all about creating an engaging dining experience where guests can enjoy artisanal pizzas that are delicious, fast, and affordable. We think Blaze Pizza is going to be a game changer.”
The authenticity of Blaze Pizza, along with its culture that genuinely focuses on the happiness of their guests and crew, has been the key to the concept’s popularity and expansion. But Blaze’s obsessive attention to detail extends well beyond the food with a carefully considered, modern approach to restaurant design. Award-winning design architect Ana Henton is adding several unique, modern touches to the Garner location, including an oversized wall mural custom-built to suit the space. Driven by its commitment to “Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet,” the restaurant is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, uses eco-friendly packaging, and features energy-efficient LED lighting. The 2,500-square-foot interior will include seating for 60 inside with additional outdoor seating available.
Each restaurant makes its own dough from scratch using a recipe developed by critically acclaimed executive chef Bradford Kent (the “Pizza Whisperer”), which requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce his signature light-as-air, crisp crust. For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese. The Garner restaurant will also feature a selection of wine and craft beer.
