Blaze Pizza
An American fast-casual pizza chain built around made-to-order pizzas, rapid oven cooking, and customer-selected toppings.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Blaze Pizza is an American fast-casual restaurant brand specializing in made-to-order pizzas. Rick and Elise Wetzel founded the company in 2011 in Pasadena, California. The founders were also associated with Wetzel's Pretzels, and Blaze was developed around a customizable, assembly-line restaurant model that allows customers to choose a crust, sauce, cheese, meats, vegetables, and other toppings before the pizza is baked. This approach places the brand in the same broad fast-casual category as build-your-own concepts such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Subway, while applying the format to pizza. The first Blaze Pizza restaurant opened in Irvine, California, in August 2012. A second location, described as the company's flagship restaurant, opened in Pasadena two months later. The restaurants emphasize an open kitchen and a simple cooking process centered on a high-temperature open-flame oven. Pizzas generally cook in approximately three minutes, allowing the brand to combine customization with the speed expected from quick-service dining. The oven is the principal cooking equipment used inside the restaurants, a design choice that supports the chain's compact, highly visible preparation model. Blaze expanded rapidly during its first years. By the end of 2014, it had become the first fast-casual pizza restaurant chain to reach 50 opened units. The company subsequently articulated an ambition to reach at least 500 locations by 2020, reflecting a strategy based on scalable restaurants, standardized preparation, and franchised or multi-unit expansion. The chain began entering Canada in 2015 and later expanded into the Middle East through a partnership with Alshaya in 2018. Reference material also identifies the United Kingdom among its operating markets. The brand's core proposition is personalization without a long wait. Customers can order an individual pizza assembled in front of them, making the format suitable for different preferences within the same dining party. In addition to customizable pizzas, the chain is associated with salads and desserts. Its positioning combines fast-casual convenience, visible preparation, broad topping choice, and accessible pricing, rather than presenting itself primarily as a traditional sit-down pizzeria. In 2024, Blaze announced plans to move its headquarters from Pasadena to Atlanta, Georgia, in support of future expansion. The headquarters change distinguishes the company's current corporate base from its California origin and early flagship presence. In January 2026, the company appointed John Owen as chief executive officer, succeeding Beto Guajardo. Owen came to Blaze after serving as chief operating officer of Scooter's Coffee and previously holding leadership roles at Subway Russia and McDonald's. Blaze Pizza therefore remains an active international restaurant brand whose identity is centered on quick, highly customizable pizza prepared in an open-kitchen environment.
History
Blaze Pizza was established in 2011 by Rick and Elise Wetzel in Pasadena, California. The founders' previous association with Wetzel's Pretzels informed a restaurant concept designed for speed, repeatability, and customer choice. Rather than selling a limited range of preconfigured pizzas, Blaze built its service around made-to-order assembly. Customers select their preferred ingredients as the pizza moves through an open preparation line, after which it is cooked in a high-temperature open-flame oven. The first restaurant opened in Irvine, California, in August 2012. The second opened in Pasadena in October of the same year and became the company's flagship location. The operating model was deliberately simple: the oven was the central cooking appliance, while the visible preparation process allowed guests to observe the pizza being assembled. The typical cooking time was approximately three minutes, giving the chain a way to deliver customization without adopting the slower pace associated with many full-service pizzerias. Blaze expanded quickly in the United States. By the end of 2014, it had opened 50 units, a milestone characterized in reference material as the first time a fast-casual pizza chain had reached that scale. The company also set a target of at least 500 locations by 2020, demonstrating the importance it placed on national and international unit growth. The target itself should not be treated as proof that the number was achieved, as the supplied reference does not provide a final unit count. International development began with entry into Canada in 2015. In 2018, Blaze entered Middle Eastern markets through a partnership with Alshaya. Reference material also lists the United Kingdom among the brand's operating markets. These expansions extended the made-to-order pizza format beyond its original California base while relying on the same central proposition: individual customization, quick baking, and a fast-casual restaurant environment. The company's early corporate identity was closely associated with Pasadena, where it was founded and where its flagship restaurant opened. In 2024, however, Blaze announced plans to move its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia. The stated rationale was to support future expansion, marking a shift in the brand's corporate geography even as its California origins remained central to its history. In January 2026, Blaze appointed John Owen as chief executive officer, replacing Beto Guajardo. Owen's prior experience included chief operating officer responsibilities at Scooter's Coffee, leadership of Subway Russia, and a lengthy career at McDonald's that included the role of corporate vice president of strategy and execution. The appointment represented a leadership transition as Blaze continued to operate as an active fast-casual restaurant chain. Across its development, Blaze Pizza has retained a consistent strategic focus: applying the speed and process discipline of fast food to a more personalized pizza experience. Its restaurants are associated primarily with customizable pizzas, but the menu format also includes salads and desserts. The brand's differentiation rests less on a single traditional recipe than on the combination of an open kitchen, customer-selected ingredients, high-temperature oven cooking, and a short service cycle.
- 2026
John Owen became chief executive
[1]John Owen was appointed CEO, succeeding Beto Guajardo.
- 2024
Planned headquarters relocation
[1]Blaze announced plans to move its headquarters to Atlanta to support expansion.
- 2018
Entered the Middle East
[1]Blaze opened Middle Eastern locations in partnership with Alshaya.
- 2015
Entered Canada
[1]The company began expanding into the Canadian market.
- 2014
Reached 50 opened units
[1]By the end of the year, Blaze was described as the first fast-casual pizza chain to reach 50 opened units.
- 2012
First restaurant opened
[1]The first Blaze Pizza location opened in Irvine, California, in August.
- 2012
Pasadena flagship opened
[1]The second location opened in Pasadena in October and became the company's flagship restaurant.
- 2011
Blaze Pizza founded
[1]Rick and Elise Wetzel founded Blaze Pizza in Pasadena, California.
Products and positioning
Fast-casual dining focused on individually customized pizzas, visible preparation, rapid cooking, and broad topping choice.
Pizza · 2012
Customizable pizzas
Blaze Pizza's central offering is a made-to-order pizza assembled according to the customer's choice of sauces, cheeses, meats, vegetables, and other toppings. The preparation takes place in an open kitchen and is followed by rapid baking in a high-temperature open-flame oven. The format is designed to provide individual personalization while retaining the speed and convenience associated with fast-casual dining.
Salad
Salads
Salads are part of the broader Blaze Pizza menu and provide an alternative or complement to the chain's pizza-focused offering. The supplied reference identifies salads as a typical product category but does not specify individual recipes, ingredients, or launch dates.
Dessert
Desserts
Desserts are included among the brand's typical menu categories. Available formats and specific products are not detailed in the supplied reference material.
Brand decisions
2024
Planned headquarters move to AtlantaStrategyBackground
Blaze announced a corporate relocation intended to support its future expansion plans.
Action taken
The company planned to move its headquarters from Pasadena to Atlanta, Georgia.
Aftermath
Atlanta became the company's stated headquarters location in reference material, while Pasadena remained its founding city and the location of its early flagship restaurant.
2018
Middle Eastern expansion through AlshayaStrategyBackground
Blaze sought to extend its fast-casual pizza model into the Middle East.
Action taken
The company partnered with Alshaya to open Middle Eastern locations.
Aftermath
The partnership established a route for Blaze's presence in Middle Eastern markets.
2015
International expansion into CanadaStrategyBackground
After establishing an initial United States footprint, Blaze pursued expansion beyond its home market.
Action taken
The company began opening locations in Canada.
Aftermath
Canada became one of the international markets associated with the brand.
Recent events
Blaze Pizza appoints Johnny Jones as SVP of Development[3]
Reported:
Blaze Pizza announced that Johnny Jones joined its executive leadership team as Senior Vice President of Development.
Blaze Pizza launches Cheesy Bread[4]
Reported:
Blaze Pizza launched its scratch-made Cheesy Bread, available nationwide, and offered it free with qualifying orders as a launch promotion.
Sources4 sources
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