AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Dec 7, 2015) - Austin is heating up with the opening of Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza. The fast-casual artisanal pizza concept known for its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, will officially open its doors in Austin's Lakeline Commons on Thursday, December 10. To celebrate the grand opening, the restaurant will offer FREE build-your-own artisanal pizzas on Friday, December 11 from 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Additionally, there will be a formal ribbon cutting ceremony and guests will be provided with entertainment by Cody Bryan Band.

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. 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 artisanal ingredients -- all for about $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.

Each Blaze restaurant makes its own pizza dough from scratch daily using a recipe developed by Blaze Pizza's 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.

"As a foodie town, we can't wait for Austinites to taste our take on pizza," said Chef Kent. "At Blaze, we're all about carefully sourcing ingredients, cooking by fire, and letting guests enjoy high-quality artisanal pizza at crazy fast speed. We think that the authenticity of our food, plus our service culture that genuinely focuses on the happiness of our guests and crew, will be key to our success here."

Local craft beers will be poured on tap, including Guns & Oil's Esteem, Black Star's American Lager, 512's WIT Beer and 512's White IPA. Seasonal beers will rotate and patrons can also enjoy a selection of wine.

"We are so excited to introduce Blaze to the Austin and Cedar Park communities where families, friends, teammates, co-workers or anyone can all gather and build their own personal pizzas," said Brian Kelley, Managing Partner of Saddles Blazin LLC, a Blaze Pizza franchisee. "We look forward to turning our kitchen into a Friday night family tradition, a celebratory hub to toast a local team's game winning goal or simply just a place to grab some great pizza."

The restaurant will also partner with local schools, sports clubs, nonprofits and other community organizations to host fundraising events at Blaze, donating 20 percent of an event's proceeds back to local groups.

WHAT:
Blaze Pizza's Grand Opening and "Free Pizza Day"
Free pizza on Friday, December 11 for guests who follow Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook

WHEN:
Opening Day: Thursday, December 10 at 10:30 a.m.

Free Pizza Day: Friday, December 11
Ribbon Cutting at 10:00 a.m.
Free pizza served 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Music entertainment by Cody Bryan Band from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

WHO:
Austin Community

WHERE:
Blaze Pizza Austin
Lakeline Commons (Across from Lakeline Mall)
14009 North Research Blvd., Suite 103
Austin, TX 78717
512-518-3619

Blaze Pizza is calling all pizzasmiths in the greater Austin area to join their team. Submit an application for crew and shift manager online at www.saddlesblazin.com/careers.html.

Blaze Pizza will be open Monday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

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 97 restaurants in 23 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.