LOS ANGELES, Jan. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, the fast-casual artisanal pizza concept known for its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, announced today that it will open its third Charlotte, N.C. location Thursday, January 11 in the Concord area. To celebrate their grand opening, the new restaurant will offer FREE build-your-own artisanal pizzas Friday, January 12 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. The highly anticipated restaurant, which features a 2,800-square-foot interior with seating for 78 and an additional outdoor patio, is located in Christenbury Corners at the corner of Derita Road and Christenbury Parkway, near Concord Mills shopping mall.
Blaze Pizza is a modern day “pizza joint” serving up artisanal pizzas that are both fast and affordable. Since its first restaurant debuted in 2012, Blaze has quickly become one of the nation’s hottest restaurant concepts, with fans lining up each day for the custom-built pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s’more pies. All of the pizza and salad ingredients are free of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and for pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese. The new Concord location will also feature a selection of wine and craft beer.
“Our mission at Blaze is really simple – we’re taking pizza back to its roots,” said Jim Mizes, president & CEO of Blaze Pizza. “By making dough in-house, carefully sourcing ingredients, and cooking by fire, we’re giving guests a great way to enjoy artisanal pizza without the wait. It’s changing the way people think about and eat pizza.”
Blaze Pizza prides themselves on making 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. 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 fresh, artisanal ingredients – all for about $8. The generously-sized personal pizzas are then sent to a blazing hot open-flame oven where dedicated pizzasmiths ensure that the thin-crust pies are fast-fire’d and ready to eat in just 180 seconds.
“We’re looking forward to opening our doors in a new community,” said Jimmy Sierra, co-owner of Carolinas Restaurant Holdings. “With proximity to Concord Mills and Charlotte Motor Speedway, our new Concord location is ready to serve both local residents and out-of-town visitors the absolute best, fast-fire’d pizza possible!”
Owned and operated by Carolinas Restaurant Holdings, the Concord restaurant will be the group's third Blaze Pizza location in the Charlotte area and fourth in North Carolina. Their other restaurants are located in Charlotte’s South End and University Place areas and in Asheville.
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. Recently named ‘#1 Brand of the Year’ in the 2017 Fast Casual Top 100, the fast-growing chain currently operates over 235 restaurants in 35 states and Canada, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, Boston, and Toronto. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels), the concept is backed by private equity firm Brentwood Associates and founding investors that include LeBron James, Maria Shriver, movie producer John Davis and Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner. For more information, visit www.blazepizza.com or www.facebook.com/blazepizza or click here to view a company video.
Media Contact:
Devyn Turner
Spark Strategic Ideas
dturner@sparksi.com
(704) 942-5945
Blaze Pizza®, fast-fire'd®, the horizontal logo design, the proprietary name "pizzasmith" and related trademarks are the property of Blaze Pizza LLC.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e9df5a8-85a6-427f-914b-01053a70fa19