Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels), Blaze Pizza opened its first restaurant on August 6, 2012, in Irvine, CA, and the Company quickly gained attention for its chef-driven recipes, thoughtful interior design and service culture celebrating individuality. Named ‘#1 Brand of the Year’ in the 2017 Fast Casual Top 100, the Company is building momentum and developing a cult-like following as it expands across North America. 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. 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, which requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce the Company’s signature light-as-air, crisp crust. Blaze also serves freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s’more pies, and offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese for pizza fans with specific dietary needs.
Deal Team
Bill Barnum, Partner
Rahul Aggarwal, Partner