Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Opens First Louisiana Location in New Orleans' South Market District April 16th

NEW ORLEANS, LA--(Marketwired - Apr 13, 2015) - Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza is proud to announce that it will be heating up the New Orleans pizza scene with its first Louisiana location in The Paramount at South Market District, opening Thursday, April 16^th, 2015. Blaze Pizza's Executive Chef Bradford Kent ("The Pizza Whisperer") will open the restaurant on Thursday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony with local Councilmembers and the Blaze team; following, Blaze will have live outdoor music by the Lagniappe Brass Band during lunch hours to celebrate. To celebrate the launch, the restaurant will offer FREE build-your-own artisanal pizzas on Friday, April 17^th from 10:30 a.m. to midnight to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

"We're excited to introduce Blaze to the New Orleans community," says Chef Kent. "New Orleans is a culinary mecca, but residents really haven't had a good way to enjoy an artisanal pizza without the wait. Now they do."

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 Chef Kent, 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.

Blaze Pizza is looking forward to building strong roots with members of the local community. The New Orleans menu will feature area flavors, such as muffaletta and hot sauce. Additionally, because hand-crafted pizza deserves hand-crafted beer, Blaze will feature local draught selections, including favorites from NOLA Brewing and Abita Brewing Company. The restaurant will also showcase a selection of wine on tap from Nottingham Winery through local distributor, Bizou Wines.

Blaze New Orleans is also partnering with local schools, sports clubs and other organizations to host fundraising events at the new restaurant and donate 20% of an event's proceeds back to local organizations.

"Our goal is to give guests the ultimate Blaze experience, while capturing the true essence of New Orleans in our restaurant," says Brian Kelley, Managing Partner with Paradigm Investment Group, LLC. "We're excited to immerse ourselves into the local community and are so proud to now be a part of this great city."

WHAT:
Blaze Pizza's "Free Pizza Day" and Ribbon Cutting Celebration!

WHERE:
Blaze Pizza New Orleans
The Paramount at South Market District
611 O'Keefe Ave, New Orleans, La.
Phone: (504) 208-1028

WHEN:
Grand Opening: Thursday, April 16^th, 2015
10:15 a.m.: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.: Restaurant Operating Hours
Free Pizza Day: Friday, April 17^th, 2015
10:30 a.m. - midnight: Restaurant Operating Hours
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Lagniappe Brass Band

WHO:
Executive Chef Bradford Kent
New Orleans Councilmembers
Downtown Development District Representatives
Entertainment by Lagniappe Brass Band

Blaze Pizza's hours of operation are Sunday - Thursday, 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. and Friday - Saturday, 10:30 a.m. - midnight. For more information on Blaze Pizza, please visit www.blazepizza.com or www.facebook.com/blazepizza.

For additional information, please contact Emily Reimsnyder at Emily@bondpublicrelations.com or call 504-897-9462.

About Blaze Pizza
The first Blaze Pizza^® restaurant opened on August 6, 2012 in Irvine, CA, and quickly gained attention for its chef-driven recipes and "build-your-own pizza" assembly-line format. Described by Zagat as "One of 10 Innovative Restaurants in Los Angeles," Blaze Pizza is developing a cult following as it expands across the U.S. The company currently operates restaurants in 15 states and the District of Columbia, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco 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. 

About The Paramount at South Market
The Paramount represents the first phase of growth for the South Market District, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development in the heart of Downtown New Orleans. The building is home to restaurants, retailers, and 209 luxury apartments, which are currently leasing for immediate occupancy. For more information about The Paramount and/or leasing apartments, visit www.paramountnola.com.