Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Announces Grand Opening of Second Pittsburgh Location

ROBINSON TOWNSHIP, PA--(Marketwired - Oct 10, 2016) - The wait is over. Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the nation's leading fast-casual pizza concept, opens its second restaurant in the Pittsburgh area Thursday, October 13^th at 290 Settlers Ridge Center Drive, Robinson Township, PA.

To celebrate the grand opening, diners can stop by Friday, October 14^th anytime between 11am and 9pm to enjoy one of Blaze's build-your-own, artisanal pizzas on the house. Yes, for free. All guests have to do is follow Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Snapchat. The highly anticipated restaurant, which features a 2700 square foot interior with seating for 66, is located at 290 Settlers Ridge Center Drive, in the Settlers Ridge Mall, near REI and Barnes and Noble.

"You might think if you've tried one pizza, you've tried them all. But Blaze offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience that puts a completely new spin on one of America's favorite foods," said Phil Sero, Vice President of Operations for Blaze Pizza in Pennsylvania. "Pittsburgh diners will love our high-quality ingredients, diverse options and welcoming staff -- and you can't beat the price. We are proud to be a part of the Robinson Township community and look forward to continued growth throughout the region."

Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint" that has been cultivating fanatics since it opened its first location in 2012. Each 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 carefully sourced, high-quality ingredients -- all for around $8. The generously-sized personal pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot open-flame oven -- the centerpiece of the restaurant -- where dedicated pizzasmiths ensure that the thin-crust pies are fast-fire'd and ready to eat in just 180 seconds.

The concept debuted in Pittsburgh with the opening of the Monroeville location (3939 William Penn Hwy) in June. Each restaurant makes its own dough from scratch, using a recipe developed by critically-acclaimed 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.

The authenticity of Blaze Pizza, along with its culture that focuses on the happiness of their guests and crew, has been the key to the concept's nationwide popularity and expansion. Driven by its commitment to "Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet," every Blaze restaurant is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, uses eco-friendly packaging and features energy-efficient LED lighting.

Blaze Pizza is looking forward to continuing to build strong roots within the community. To that end, the company has developed a turn-key in-restaurant fundraiser program that returns 20% of an event's proceeds back to local organizations, and will be partnering with local schools, sports clubs and other organizations to host fundraising events at the new restaurant.

About Blaze Pizza
The first Blaze Pizza^® restaurant opened on Aug. 6, 2012, in Irvine, Calif., and quickly gained attention for its chef-driven recipes, thoughtful interior design, and a service culture that celebrates individuality. Now ranked as the leading fast-casual pizza chain in the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult following as it expands across the country. The company currently operates 155 restaurants in 31 states and Canada, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Boston. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel's Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including LeBron James, Maria Shriver, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner and movie producer John Davis. For more information, please visit blazepizza.com and facebook.com/blazepizza or click here to view a company video.