Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Coming Soon to Houston Area

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 4, 2015) - Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the fast-casual concept known for its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, today announced that it will soon be opening two new locations in the Houston area this summer. In July, the first area location will open in Houston's Woodlake Square (9600 Westheimer Rd., near Randalls), in a 2,600 square foot space with seating for 60 inside and an additional 40 seats on an outdoor patio. The second area restaurant will open in August in Sugar Land's Town Center (16100 Kensington Dr.), with a 2,300 square foot location, featuring seating for 60 inside and an outdoor patio, near Ragin Cajun.

Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint" known for its custom-built artisanal pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s'more pies. Each restaurant features an interactive assembly-line format that allows guests to customize one of the menu's signature pizzas or create their own, choosing from a wide selection of fresh, artisanal ingredients -- all for under $8. The generously-sized 11-inch 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. 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. Both Houston area restaurants will also feature a selection of wine and craft beer. 

The company's mantra of making "intelligent choices" goes beyond selecting insanely great ingredients and serving exceptional pizzas. Each restaurant is carefully designed to suit its own space, with award-winning architect Ana Henton thoughtfully applying unique elements and fire-inspired colors to each location -- creating a warm, inviting environment that fits within the local neighborhood. Additionally, Blaze is committed to sustainability and uses eco-friendly packaging and locally sourced ingredients whenever practical.

"Our mission at Blaze is really simple -- we're all about bringing the community a place where guests can connect, create and enjoy great pizza at crazy fast speed," said Jim Mizes, president & COO of Blaze Pizza. "If you think about it, there hasn't been a good way to enjoy a great artisanal pizza without the wait. Now there is. We believe this will be a game changer in town."

Blaze Pizza launched in Texas in May 2015, and its first restaurant, in Frisco (3311 Preston Rd.) has quickly become a neighborhood favorite. Additional Texas locations will be coming soon, including Austin (Lakeline Commons, 14015 Research Blvd.) in November and Ft. Worth (Waterside Shopping Center, 3388 Bryant Irvin Rd.) in Q1 2016.

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 and "build-your-own pizza" assembly-line format. Now ranked as the overall #2 fast-casual brand in FastCasual.com's annual Top 100 list, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult following as it expands across the country. The company currently operates 68 restaurants in 18 states and the District of Columbia, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas and Washington D.C. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel's Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including LeBron James, Maria Shriver, Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner and movie producer John Davis.