Blaze Pizza has arrived in town and will be giving out free pizzas all day Friday to celebrate.
“We just want people to come out and try it. That's why we give out free pizzas after opening days. We want everyone in Guelph and everyone in every community we open in to come try it out once,” said Jared Taylor, vice-president of operations for the Canadian franchise group.
Blaze Pizza is located at 20 Clair Rd. W. in the Longo's plaze on the southwest corner of Clair Road and Gordon Street in Guelph's south end.
The store actually opens to the public on Thursday. Friday is free pizza day. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
“You know when you come and experience it once - that pizza that you want that’s custom made - you're gonna' wanna' come back,” Taylor said.
“The more we give away the happier we are,” said the director of training Jason Huang.
Huang says the chain averages 1,200 free pizzas every time it opens a new location.
Known for its unique concept, Blaze Pizza had been rapidly growing in the United States. It began in 2011 with Elise and Rick Wetzel opening the first location in California and then grew to include Lebron James as a major investor.
Forbes Magazine listed Blaze as the fasted growing restaurant chain ever. They currently have over 300 franchises to date in five countries.
“The reason we think it's going to be successful is we feel its pretty unique. There's not a lot of options like build your own pizza and artisanal pizza and having guests being able to customize and put what they want on it. It’s kinda unique and different,” said Taylor.
So what is the hype about Blaze Pizza?
The concept is to make quick, fresh and customizable pizzas.
“Basically you go down the line like you would at a Subway and then you could choose from whatever toppings you see," said Huang. “So the big thing is individuality. Totally customized.”
The pizzas are all 11-inch personalized thin crust and are ready to eat three minutes after they touch the oven's hearth, which is super-heated to 550 degrees Celcius.
“We use real fire and that makes real artisan pizza,” said Huang.
Blaze Pizza makes its dough in house. They also make a gluten-free dough.
“Spending that much time and effort on the foundation is really what sets us apart more than anything else,” said Huang.
“We wanna be fast. We wanna make sure were fast enough for lunch so people can get in and out. It's very, very quick.”
The chain emphasizes the importance of the environment as well.
There are no chemicals, no preservatives and no additives in any of the food,’ said Taylor, and all the cups, lids and straws are made out of plant-based material.
The price ranges from $8 for a simple cheese pizza to build your own or signature pizza at $12.85.
“We feel the Blaze brand speaks to people about quality and just about handmade. Get what you want.”
