Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, the recognized world leader in fast artisanal pizza, announced that it has opened its first location in the Middle East at The Avenues in Kuwait City, Kuwait. The build-your-own pizza chain, known for its chef-driven recipes and fun, modern restaurants, also announced that a total of six locations are scheduled to open this year in Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The new Middle East restaurants are being built and operated by the M.H. Alshaya Co. under an exclusive development agreement that provides for the opening of 100 Blaze Pizza outlets in 11 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and Morocco.
The Avenues is one of the top shopping and leisure destinations in the region, attracting more than 20 million visitors each year and is rated the number one “thing to do” in Kuwait by TripAdvisor. Recently, the mall has undergone a major expansion, growing its offerings to more than 1,200 retail stores, restaurants, cinemas and hotels. Featuring artisanal pizzas with unlimited toppings at one low price, the new Blaze Pizza restaurant spans over 3,300 square feet with seating for 100 guests. This will be the brand’s flagship location in the Middle East.
“The Avenues is the perfect location to introduce our brand to the Middle East,” says Jim Mizes, president and CEO of Blaze Pizza. “We know that the Blaze brand will resonate with guests around the globe and are committed to its international expansion. We’re just getting started.”
Blaze Pizza is a modern day “pizza joint,” serving up artisanal pizzas that are both fast and affordable. With fans lining up each day for their custom-built pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s’more pies, the innovative fast-casual concept has quickly become one of the hottest restaurant chains in the country. Each Blaze Pizza 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 fresh, “clean” ingredients—all for one low price. The generously sized personal pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot open-flame oven—the centerpiece of the restaurant—where dedicated pizzasmiths ensure the thin-crust pies are fast-fire’d and ready to eat in just 180 seconds. Restaurants make fresh dough from scratch using a proprietary recipe developed by 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.
In addition to providing Blaze’s core menu, the Kuwait location also features locally inspired offerings, including halal meats, roasted eggplant and mint lemonade.
