Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Continues Growth in Louisville With Third Location

LOUISVILLE, KY--(Marketwired - May 16, 2016) - Get ready, Louisvillians! It's going to be a blazin' hot summer. Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the nation's leading fast-casual artisanal pizza concept, announced today the opening of its third Louisville location late this summer. The new restaurant will be located in the Paddock Shops at 4055 Summit Plaza Drive, next to Zoes Kitchen and Five Guys. This marks the third location in Louisville and will be the fifth in Kentucky after Bowling Green opens later this month.

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, known for its custom-built pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s'more pies, came to Kentucky in June 2014 with the opening of its first Louisville restaurant at Shelbyville Rd. Plaza in St. Matthews. A second location opened at Louisville's Middletown Commons in June 2015, and the restaurant debuted in Lexington close to the University of Kentucky campus later that year in August. On May 23, a fourth Kentucky location will open in Bowling Green at 2825 Scottsville Road.

"Blaze Pizza will be a welcome addition to the Paddock Shops, which has become a Louisville hot spot for top-notch shopping and dining," said Rodney Poston, Operating Partner for Blaze Pizza in Kentucky. "Blaze's fast-casual concept is perfect for area shoppers who want a delicious, high-quality meal without the wait."

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 its guests and crew, has been the key to the concept's nationwide popularity and expansion. Blaze's close attention to detail extends well beyond the food, as seen by its carefully considered, modern approach to restaurant design. Award-winning design architect Ana Henton has added several unique, modern touches to the new Louisville location, including an oversized wall mural custom designed to suit the space.

The new Blaze Pizza will be operated by Louisville-based Millennial Restaurant Group (MRG), which continues to develop the concept throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida. The partnership consists of James Patterson Sr., Jim Patterson II, Ulysses (Junior) Bridgeman, Wayne Albritton and Collins Cogan.

In addition to the new Louisville restaurant, MRG is a partner in Lake Buena Vista LLC, which will open a location at Disney Springs, formerly Downtown Disney, in Orlando. That location is set to open in July of this year.

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 overall #2 fast-casual brand in FastCasual.com's annual Top 100 list, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult-like following as it expands across the country. The company currently operates 134 restaurants in 28 states and Canada, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Dallas, Las Vegas 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, 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.

Blaze Pizza®, Fast-Fire'd®, the horizontal logo design, and the proprietary names "Pizzasmith", "Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet" and related trademarks are the property of Blaze Pizza LLC.