Adam Fleischman’s 800 Degrees is spawning yet another Dolly the Sheep, this time in the guise of Blaze Pizza, a chain from the couple behind mall-linchpin Wetzel’s Pretzels that will fire your pie in less than two minutes through an oven reaching 600 to 900-degrees, much as you’ve come to expect from any potential pizza-serving Subway clone.
Blaze opened in Pasadena this Monday, its second following an initial effort in Irvine this past August. The place has signature pizzas designed by Olio Pizzeria & Cafe’s Brad Kent, including an “Art Lover” with artichokes and dotted in tomato sauce and a white pie with ricotta and mozzarella with applewood bacon. Then there are, of course, the DIY versions with various veggies and meats, plus three options for sauce, including–Holy California Pizza Kitchen, Batman!--barbecue. Salads, blood orange lemonade, and s’more pies round out the options, and fortunately, there’s beer and wine, too.
All eyes are glued on the flash-fired pizza scene to see who will be the first to bring the concept to the great malls of America, and Blaze looks to be a strong contender, already including a full franchising packet on its website, as the company discloses plans for several more stores in SoCal. Hey, if Rick and Elise Wetzel can sell the country on doughy jalapeno-topped cheesy pretzels and pretzel dogs, pizza should be a snap. Investors in the enterprise already include Maria Shriver, film producer John Davis, and Tom Werner, co-owner of the Boston Red Sux Sox.
This Saturday, Blaze will celebrate its second store opening by offering personal-sized DIY pizzas to any Facebook fans from 5:00 and 10:00 P.M. We’d love to know what you think in our comments.
Blaze Pizza, 667 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena; 626-440-7358.
