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.

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.