Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza to Open First Lafayette Location, Second in Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, LA--(Marketwired - Jan 14, 2016) - 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 open in Lafayette. The highly anticipated restaurant, which will feature a 2,600-square-foot-interior with seating for 75 inside and an additional 25 seats on an outdoor patio, will open in March in Lafayette's Ambassador Town Center at 111 Meadow Farm Road, near Costco. The new restaurant marks the second Louisiana location for Blaze, which debuted in New Orleans in April 2015 in New Orleans' South Market District (611 O'Keefe Ave.).

Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint" that has been inspiring excitement and cultivating fanatics for its custom-built artisanal pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s'more pies 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 under $8. The generously-sized 11" 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. The new Lafayette restaurant will also feature a selection of local craft beers, including Saison D'Ecrevisses and LA-31 Biere Pale from Bayou Teche Brewing and Canebrake and Ghost in the Machine from Parish Brewing Company.

In support of the company's commitment to "Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet", the new restaurant will be constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, use energy-efficient LED lighting, and will feature eco-friendly, compostable packaging.

"By making our dough in-house daily, offering carefully sourced ingredients, and cooking by fire, we're taking pizza back to its roots. We wanted to give guests a great way to enjoy artisanal pizza without the wait," says Jim Mizes, presidents & COO of Blaze Pizza. "We pride ourselves on the authenticity of our food and creating a sustainable, engaging and exciting atmosphere for our guests."

Blaze is looking forward to building strong roots within the community, offering a spot where guests can connect, create and enjoy. To that end, the restaurant promotes a turnkey fundraiser program that returns 20 percent of an event's proceeds back to the organization, helping schools, sports clubs and other local groups "cause a scene for a good cause."

"We're excited to introduce the Lafayette community to Blaze, offering custom-built, artisanal pizza that's fast fire'd in just three minutes," said Brian Kelley, Managing Partner of Saddles Blazin, LLC, a Blaze Pizza franchisee currently operating in Louisiana and Texas. "Supporting local business, we're also proud to offer Louisiana craft beer, with Bayou Teche Brewing and Parish Brewing Company on tap."

Blaze is currently seeking friendly and passionate workers to join its team. For more information about employment opportunities, please visit saddlesblazin.com.

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 No. 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 105 restaurants in 25 states and Canada, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, 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. 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.