New artisanal pizza joint ‘blazes’ into Southern Utah

ST. GEORGE —  Southern Utah is getting ready to be set ablaze.

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, a “fast artisanal pizza” has opened a new location in Washington City – making it easier for local residents to get their “signature” style pizza experience.

The build-your-own pizza concept, known for its chef-driven recipes, opened July 1, with hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday at 740 W. Telegraph St., Suite 5.

“We are extremely excited to become part of the fast-growing Southern Utah family,” franchise owner Brian Booth said. “With seven locations already open in Las Vegas, we are excited to meet and serve our new neighbors in Southern Utah.”

Blaze offers dine-in, carryout through pick-up or curbside service, and contactless delivery ordered from its website, mobile app and various delivery vendors.

Blaze Pizza is a modern-day “pizza joint” serving up artisanal pizzas that are advertised as both fast and affordable.

Whether “walking the ingredient line” in the restaurant or ordering online, guests can customize one of the menu’s signature pizzas or create their own, choosing from a wide selection of toppings that are free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners.

With a fast-fresh concept, Blaze Pizza skins go from being sauced to baked within a handful of minutes. The customizable topping bar is something a little more unusual than your typical pizza joint where everything is weighed out. St. George, Utah, June 30, 2020 | Photo by David Louis, St. George News

Restaurants make fresh dough from scratch using a proprietary recipe developed by Bradford Kent, executive chef, which requires a 24-hour proofing period to produce “light-as-air,” crisp crust.

For pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free and keto crusts, plus vegan cheese and plant-based spicy chorizo.

“The lucky thing for franchisees is that the product sells itself,” Booth said. “The ingredients are fresh and without preservatives and most of our key products are made in-house.”

One commitment Blaze pledges is that product will not sit on the ingredient bar for days on end. With a freshness shelf life, Booth said he adheres to rotating toppings constantly.

“The beauty of our product is if a consumer goes down the line and wants just a pinch of one item or three or four handfuls of another, our answer is always yes,” Booth added. “If someone wants more cheese or another topping like the grilled chicken, we’ll do it; it’s all the same price. We want them to be satisfied and design the pizza exactly the way they want it to come out of the oven.”

While Booth acknowledged the 800-pound gorilla in the room, opening a restaurant in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business has been in the works for quite some time.

“It wasn’t by design,” Booth said. “Currently we are signed, sealed and delivered, under construction on store number eight in Las Vegas, with nine and 10 recently signing leases. As far as the location here, the deal was inked over a year ago … and we are planning at least another restaurant in St. George on Bluff Street. Southern Utah is a perfect place to expand our business and make a connection with the communities.”

To meet the demands of a COVID-19 world, Washington Blaze Pizza will feature:

  • The hiring of a dining service leader, whose responsibilities will include wiping down high-touch surfaces frequently.
  • Small, single-use eco-friendly bags for each guest to store their personal masks while dining.
  • Employees adhering to strict safety protocols including wearing masks and gloves.
  • The restaurant will offer the availability of hand sanitizer for guests and employ food safety procedures validated by an independent auditor.

The restaurant is offering a free 11-inch build-your-own pizza to anyone who downloads the Blaze Pizza app until July 14, along with adding the Washington location as their favorite or preferred location. The free pizza reward will be accessible on the app starting July 15 and redeemable through the end of the month.

Founded in 2011, the Pasadena-based franchise chain currently operates more than 345 restaurants in 41 states and six countries.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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