Blaze Pizza is opening its second location in Tallahassee in March 2016. The grand opening will be Sunday March 13 at 11 a.m., located on 1670 W. Tennessee St. next to Zoes Kitchen.
The first Blaze Pizza in Tallahassee opened back in November 2015 on Magnoila Drive, next to Starbucks. According to Fastcasual.com the company was ranked No. 2 fast-casual brand on the annual top 100 list.
The franchise originated in Southern California by Elise and Rick Wetzel August 2012, and has been around for about three years.
Blaze Pizza has successfully expanded fast since becoming a franchise and opening in several major metropolitan cities. Over the three years 88 locations in 22 states have opened.
The newly built Blaze Pizza hopes to draw a large amount of college students and new customers.
Blaze Pizza is not an ordinary pizza chain and certainly stands out from other pizza franchise. Manager M.G. Erlich said the franchise wants to change the way people think of pizza.
“One of the goal is to redefine the way people think of pizza,” Erlich said.
Blaze Pizza is friendly, fast, affordable and has a wide variety of toppings that can be customized. The restaurant features an interactive service format. Customers can go down the line and build their own customized stove oven pizza that is served in 3 mintues.
Customers, like fourth-year FAMU nursing student from Jacksonville Ashley Kelly, enjoys the wide variety of toppings that Blaze Pizza offers.
“Besides the wide variety of toppings the price is reasonable and the employees are friendly as well as fast with preparing my pizza,” Kelly said. “I like how I can choose my personal size pizza (and be) in and out the door within 10 mins and pay less than $9 for an amazing pizza. You can’t beat that.”
On March 14 the restaurant is celebrating pieday, and customers can receive a pizza for $3.14 all day.
Erlich expects Blaze Pizza to be full of people.
“We focus on both fast and affordable, I expected the first couple of days to be very busy,” Erlich said.
Florida State student Logan Bradley expressed his excitement on the Blaze Pizza coming to Tennessee Street.
“I’m excited it’s one in walking distance from school and homes. I’ve eaten at Blaze Pizza a couple of times (and) it was awesome, but now that it’s one closer to school. I’ll certainly go all the time now,” Bradley said.
“I love working with the buisness it is a great environment and working experience,” said Erlich.
Blaze Pizza is currently hiring. Anyone interested in working for Blaze Pizza can fill out the online application at Work4blazepizza.com.