Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, a recognized world leader in fast artisanal pizza, announced that it has opened its 300th restaurant—just two months after celebrating its sixth birthday. Founded with two locations in 2012, Blaze Pizza has built momentum and developed a cult following as it has expanded from its California base into 42 states and five countries. In recognition of its rapid growth and popularity, the brand was recently ranked the pizza category’s “Brand of the Year” in an important consumer-based brand equity study and named “the fastest growing restaurant chain ever” by Forbes Magazine. In the coming year, the company is planning to open on average one new restaurant every five to six days—with its milestone 500th location projected to open by 2021.
To support its growth, the build-your-own pizza chain known for its chef-driven recipes and fun, modern restaurants also announced that it will be adding 30 new franchise partners to its current group of 55 multi-unit franchise developers. “Now that our current franchise partners are established, we’re excited to add the next wave of new franchisees to our family,” says Carolyne Canady, chief development officer and president of Blaze Pizza’s international division. “We’ve just opened up a handful of territories and are inviting experienced multi-unit operators to get in touch with us to learn more about possible opportunities in their markets.”
“We are well on our way to creating the next great lifestyle brand—one that positively impacts the lives of our guests, team members and communities we serve,” says Jim Mizes, president and CEO of Blaze Pizza. “The authenticity of our food, plus a service culture that focuses on speed of service and the happiness of our guests, have clearly been key to our popularity and strong performance. Now as we add convenience, delivery, new product innovation and amp up our loyalty and digital marketing, we see an opportunity that is even greater than six years ago. Really, the journey has just begun.”
