Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza Opens Second Lexington, KY Location Today, Offers Free Pizza Tomorrow

LEXINGTON, KY--(Marketwired - May 15, 2017) - You won't want to hold your horses for this one! Today Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza, the nation's leading fast-casual pizza concept, opens its doors in Hamburg at 2305 Sir Barton Way. The new restaurant has several grand opening events planned including a Free Pizza Day on Tuesday, May 16, and a fundraiser with Make-A-Wish® on Thursday, May 18.

Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 16), the new restaurant located near B.D.'s Mongolian Grill is offering free pizza all day from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat will get a free 11-inch, build-your-own pizza with any toppings.

On Thursday (May 18), Blaze Pizza is partnering with Make-A-Wish for a fundraiser at all six of Kentucky locations -- including the new location in Hamburg. The restaurant will donate 20% of proceeds on Thursday to raise money in support of the non-profit organization's mission to grant wishes for children in need.

"We are thrilled to be expanding in the Lexington area," said Mike Forte, Operating Partner for Blaze Pizza in Lexington. "We opened our first location in August of 2015, and the reception we have received from this community has been outstanding. That's why we have made it such a priority to give back, with events like Free Pizza Day and Fundraisers like the one we are hosting for Make-A-Wish."

This marks the second Blaze Pizza in the Lexington area. The first opened near University of Kentucky's campus at 341 S. Limestone St. A third Lexington location, at the Summit at Fritz Farms (4049 Finn Way 110), is set to open later this month. The Hamburg Blaze Pizza will offer a selection of wine and craft beers including two local craft beers on tap - West Sixth IPA and Country Boy Cougar Bait. The hours of operation are 11:00am to 10:30pm Sunday - Thursday, and 11:00am to 11:00pm on Friday and Saturday.

Blaze Pizza is a modern day "pizza joint" that has been cultivating fanatics since it opened its first location in 2012. 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.

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. For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese. Driven by the brand's commitment to "Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet," the restaurant was constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, uses eco-friendly packaging and features energy-efficient LED lighting.

The new 2,500 square foot restaurant will include over 60 seats inside with an additional 50 seats on an outdoor patio. Award-winning design architect Ana Henton has added several special touches to the restaurant, including an oversized wall mural custom-designed to suit the space.

The Millennial Restaurant Group looks forward to growing strong roots within the community. To that end, the company has developed a turn-key in-restaurant fundraiser program that returns 20 percent of an event's proceeds back to local organizations. Like, Make-A-Wish, Blaze Pizza plans to partner with local schools, sports clubs and other groups to host fundraising events at the new restaurant. For more information, please visit www.blazepizza.com/fundraising.

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 194 restaurants in 32 states and Canada, including the major metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Dallas, Las Vegas and Boston. 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.