History of Blaze Pizza in Timeline
Blaze Pizza is a fast-casual pizza restaurant chain founded in 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia by Elise and Rick Wetzel of Wetzel's Pretzels. The restaurant is known for its made-to-order pizzas. The chain has expanded and is known for its customizable pizzas and fast service.
2011: Blaze Pizza Founded
In 2011, Blaze Pizza was founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel, the founders of Wetzel's Pretzels. The company is a fast-casual pizza restaurant chain based in Atlanta, Georgia, known for its made-to-order pizzas.
2011: Blaze Pizza is Founded
In 2011, Rick and Elise Wetzel founded Blaze Pizza in Pasadena, California.
August 2012: First Blaze Pizza Location Opens
In August 2012, the first Blaze Pizza location opened in Irvine, California.
October 2012: Flagship Blaze Pizza Location Opens
In October 2012, Blaze Pizza opened its second and flagship location in Pasadena, California, where the company was founded. The restaurant features a similar business model to Chipotle and Subway, offering made-to-order pizzas cooked in a high-temperature open-flame oven in about three minutes.
2014: Blaze Pizza Reaches 50 Units
By the end of 2014, Blaze Pizza reached a milestone of 50 opened units, becoming the first fast-casual pizza restaurant to achieve this. They aimed to have 500 locations open by 2020.
2015: Blaze Pizza Expands to Canada
In 2015, Blaze Pizza began its international expansion by opening locations in Canada.
2018: Blaze Pizza Expands to the Middle East
In 2018, Blaze Pizza partnered with Alshaya to open locations in the Middle East, further expanding its international presence.
2020: Blaze Pizza's Expansion Goal
Blaze Pizza set a goal to expand to at least 500 locations by 2020.
2024: Blaze Pizza Headquarters Relocation
In 2024, Blaze Pizza announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia, to support future expansion plans.