Blaze Pizza’s ongoing brand revamp includes pretty much everything, including the menu. Food quality and choices are being researched to bring a better product.
Though it’s only 12 years old, Blaze Pizza is undergoing a revamp as its executives, including a new CEO, aim to increase the pace of development and prepare for more international exposure.
“When I came to the brand, it was for the opportunity to accelerate growth,” said Beto Guajardo, who joined Los Angeles-based Blaze in January. “So the past nine months or so, we’ve been working on our long-term strategic priorities.”
Blaze Pizza was established in 2011 by Rick and Elise Wetzel of Wetzel’s Pretzels fame. Serving made-to-order pizzas in “180 seconds,” Guajardo said, the brand has about 330 locations including units in Canada and the Middle East.
Beto Guajardo.
Previously with Focus Brands, where he oversaw international development, Guajardo has since created a plan for Blaze to modernize everything from its menu to executive teams. With a model rooted in customization and guests choosing their own pizza and toppings, offering updated menu options and fresher items is part of the effort.
“When it comes to the menu, any great restaurant wins with product first,” Guajardo said. “Great flavor, craveable and valuable.”
To continue to draw customers, new signature pizzas are in the works. After surveying customers and examining their behavior, it’s clear that localized ingredients and flavors are the key to the success of each restaurant.
The need to update the brand overall, meanwhile, has a lot to do with its origins, said Guajardo.
Founded in California, Blaze sticks to the popular style there, but as the brand continues to grow, it has to appeal to the tastes of customers in a variety of markets. “We’ve got more restaurants in Florida, Texas, in the Northeast and Midwest,” said Guajardo. “It isn’t necessarily a California vibe that we’re seeking. We’re seeking a vibe that’s going to attract consumers all around the country and, dare I say, all around the world.”
A new restaurant design is in the works, slightly smaller at 1,700 square feet versus a typical Blaze at 2,200 to 3,000 square feet.
In order to prepare for all these changes, Guajardo has been getting his leadership team together. This includes the hiring of Chief Operations Officer Johnny Tellez and Chief Development Officer Kevin Moran, both of whom Guajardo worked with at Focus Brands. Moran was vice president of strategic development for Focus, the parent company of Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, McAlister’s Deli and others, and he’ll devote much of his attention at Blaze to international expansion. Tellez was vice president of training and operations at Focus. Among his duties is supporting franchisees, including on the virtual side.
The new prototype stores for Blaze Pizza are smaller at 1,750 square feet. The first has opened in Winter Garden, Florida.
Goals of the revamp are not only to drive sales but also the size of the Blaze footprint. On an international level, Guajardo and his team have been looking at several countries, including parts of Asia and Western Europe.
“We’re not just looking for individuals who have the financial backing to open new restaurants,” said Guajardo. “We’re looking for individuals who really want to be a part of delivering great hospitality to our customers. That’s how we’re going to win.”
The cost to open a Blaze Pizza restaurant ranges from $605,400 to $1,086,500. Average gross sales for traditional franchised restaurants were $1.3 million in 2022; the AUV for franchised mall locations was $1.2 million, according to the brand’s latest franchise disclosure document. Ranked No. 178 on the Franchise Times Top 400, Blaze did $372.8 million in systemwide sales in 2022, up 1.9 percent from the prior year.