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Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Signs Franchise Development Agreement With Levy Family Partners

By: Blaze Pizza |  10 Shares     137 Reads

Build-Your-Own Pizza Chain Expanding to Chicago and Miami

PASADENA, CA - (Marketwired - May 29, 2013) - Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the leader in the fast-casual build-your-own pizza category, today announced that an affiliate of Levy Family Partners has signed an agreement to develop 15 franchise stores in Chicago and 10 franchise stores in Miami. Levy Family Partners was established by entrepreneur Larry Levy, founder and chairman of Levy Restaurants, as the holding company for his family's investments in restaurants, hotels, real estate and other ventures. The first Blaze Pizza restaurants are scheduled to open in Chicago and Miami before the end of the year, with additional locations scheduled to open in 2014.

"We see this as a tremendous growth opportunity for the Levy Family's restaurant business. The innovation that Blaze Pizza brings to the category is tremendous," said Steve Florsheim, managing partner of Levy Family Partners and Larry Levy's step son. "It's an assembly line format for artisanal pizza where you get to choose any toppings you like, and it's fired and ready in around two minutes -- all for about seven bucks. Our bet is both Miami and Chicago are going to flip for this concept. We can't wait to get rolling."

With the addition of this agreement, Blaze Pizza now has a development pipeline of over 100 franchise stores in nine states including California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan. The company expects to announce several more multi-unit area development agreements in the coming weeks.

About Larry Levy & the Levy Family Businesses

As founder of Levy Restaurants, Larry Levy pioneered the concept of premium dining in sports and entertainment venues. Under Levy's direction, Levy Restaurants grew from its base of award-winning restaurants to 66 sports and entertainment locations that include convention facilities, music/performance venues, and stadiums and arenas for all major sports leagues in 39 markets worldwide. Building off Levy's success at Levy Restaurants, he and his four sons established companies which operate restaurants in Illinois and Florida, including Pollo Campero, Bodie's All American, Babycakes NYC and (in partnership with Levy Restaurants) the upcoming Lorenzo Osteria, conceived by Michelin Star awarded chef Tony Mantuano. Larry Levy has been recognized by his industry and peers with numerous awards including the IFMA Gold Plate Award for Restaurateur of the Year and Ivy Awards (the restaurant industry's Oscars) for both Spiaggia and Bistro 110.

About Blaze Pizza

Blaze Pizza uses an assembly line format (similar to Chipotle Mexican Grill®) to create artisan pizzas at lightning fast speed -- all for about $7.00. Each Blaze Pizza restaurant makes its own dough from scratch using a recipe that requires a 24-hour fermentation period to produce its signature light-as-air, crisp crust. Guests watch as each perfectly proofed dough ball is pressed into a generous 11-inch crust. Next, they travel down the assembly line to "co-create" a signature pizza or design one of their own -- with over 40 artisanal toppings to choose from. Pizzas are "fast-fire'd" in a blazing-hot oven and ready in a scant 120 seconds. Blaze Pizza's menu also features signature salads, fresh lemonades, craft beer & wine and house-made S'more Pies. For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese.

A creation of Elise and Rick Wetzel (founder of Wetzel's Pretzels), the concept is backed by investors including Maria Shriver, movie producer John Davis and Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner, and includes the talents of highly acclaimed Executive Chef Bradford Kent. Blaze Pizza's seasoned executive team brings fast-casual and quick-serve restaurant experience from numerous concepts including Buffalo Wild Wings, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panda Express, McDonalds, and Carl's Jr. The company, which Forbes.com named a "Hot New Restaurant Chain from an Established Brand," is registering to sell franchises in all 50 states and is currently accepting applications to develop franchise stores across the country.

For more information, please visit www.blazepizza.com or www.facebook.com/blazepizza.

Blaze Pizza, LLC
530 S. Lake Ave, Suite 280
Pasadena, CA 91101

Media Contact:

Joshua Levitt
Morgan Marketing & Public Relations, LLC
(949) 261-2216
joshua@mmpr.biz

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