Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza to Open First Midlothian, Virginia Restaurant This Fall

RICHMOND, VA--(Marketwired - Aug 15, 2016) - Richmond: get ready to partake in the pizza trend that's sweeping the nation! Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the leading fast-casual, build-your-own-pizza concept, announced today that it will open its debut location in Midlothian, Virginia this fall.

Blaze Pizza offers a unique spin on one of America's most loved meals. 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 Midlothian restaurant, located at 12701 Stone Village Way, will be Blaze Pizza's third location in Virginia to open within a year. The franchise opened its Williamsburg location at 5134 Main Street last November, and a second location is slated to open in Lynchburg at 4026-F Wards Road this September. The new Midlothian Blaze Pizza will be operated by Blazing VA, LLC, which continues to develop the concept throughout the state.

"Blaze Pizza is not just another pizza joint," said Bob Parsons, Operating Partner for Blaze Pizza Virginia. "Blaze will be the new, go-to option for anyone in the Richmond area who's craving a quick, affordable, high quality meal. Not only does Blaze provide you with delicious, custom-built pizzas, we also take great pride in our exceptional guest service. Our team members are committed to making every person who walks through our doors a lifelong Blaze Pizza diner."

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. Driven by its commitment to "Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet," pizza and salad ingredients are free from artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, and the restaurant will use only eco-friendly packaging. For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese.

Blaze Pizza's culture, which celebrates the individuality of its diners and team members, has been fundamental to the concept's popularity and expansion here in Virginia and throughout the country. The concept'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 is adding several unique, modern touches to the Midlothian location, including an oversized wall mural custom-designed to suit the space.

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 leading fast-casual pizza chain in the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, Blaze Pizza is building momentum and developing a cult-like following as it expands across the country. The company currently operates 151 restaurants in 31 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.