The build-your-own pizza chain Blaze Pizza is fit for a king — King LeBron James, that is.
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We tried Blaze Pizza, the fast-growing chain that persuaded LeBron James to end a $14 million deal with McDonald's — and it's incredible
LeBron James left $14 million on the table to endorse Blaze Pizza. Once you taste it, you'll understand why.
Blaze Pizza is on fire.
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In 2015, the basketball legend walked away from a $14 million endorsement deal with McDonald's to become part of Blaze Pizza's marketing campaigns. He's also an early investor in the Chipotle-style pizza chain.
James' selection of an unknown upstart over an established brand appears to have paid off. Blaze was recently named the fastest-growing chain in history after opening its 200th location in Mentor, Ohio, on Tuesday. Revenue is on track to hit $300 million in 2017, according to a company representative.
We visited Blaze in Fremont, California, to see whether the pizza could meet the hype.
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On a weekday night, I stopped by Blaze Pizza's sunny Fremont, California, location.
The chain's blend of industrial design pieces and reclaimed wood was influenced by fast-casual competitor Chipotle, according to Blaze Pizza CEO and president Jim Mizes.
Executive chef and cofounder Bradford Kent greeted us at the door. Blaze Pizza's founders enlisted the help of the so-called "Pizza Whisperer" at the start.
Chef Brad spent seven years perfecting his pizza dough before launching the Zagat-rated Olio Pizzeria in Los Angeles. He joined Blaze Pizza to widen the reach of artisanal pizza.
And oh, what a dough! Kent's recipe combines three styles of dough, fermented over 24 hours, that are made throughout the day at every restaurant.
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Like Chipotle, Blaze Pizza uses an assembly-style format that lets guests customize a "signature pizza" from the menu board or create their own.
There are seven cheeses, seven meats, 17 veggies, and 10 sauces to choose from. No matter how many toppings you add, the pizza costs $7.95 and up, depending on location.
Chef Brad takes pride in the brand's offerings. "Blaze didn't invent the assembly line," he told us. "They infused it with [the highest-quality] culinary ingredients."
Time for me to order!
For my first pizza, I opted to build my own. Chef Brad took a slab of dough and placed it on this machine, which flattens and shapes its crust in the metal plate's rim.
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Seconds later, he lifted the dough off the plate and placed it on a wood peel for transportation down the assembly line.
I chose the spicy red sauce, infused with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, cayenne, jalapeño, and California-grown heirloom garlic.
When it came time to pick toppings, Chef Brad encouraged me that "less is more." The meatballs, made with all-white turkey meat and portobello mushrooms, had me drooling.
Chef Brad said he tried 80 different mozzarellas before selecting this tender shred for the restaurant chain.
To top off my pie, I added Italian sausage, red onions, black olives, chunks of zucchini, and a sprinkling of cilantro.
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Blaze Pizza's thin-crust pies cook in just 180 seconds in this 3-ton oven, outfitted with a stone hearth and open flames on three sides.
The oven has a BTU range 15 times that of a home oven. "We're talking about a lot of firepower," Chef Brad said. He twirled the pizza several times so it didn't burn on one side.
Voilà! Three minutes later, my individual pizza emerged hot and crispy on the edges. The chef cut it into six slices and boxed it up.
One bite in, I couldn't believe I was eating a fast-casual pizza. Thin, light on the sauce, pliable enough to be folded in half, and wood-fired, it reminded me of pies from my favorite Brooklyn pizzeria, Roberta's.
That's no coincidence. "New Yorkers make food with grit," Chef Brad said. "It's not because they have the best water. It's because someone back there [in the kitchen] gives a care."
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I liked it so much I ordered a second pie, The Green Stripe, to bring home. The pesto-sauced pizza was topped with grilled chicken, arugula, roasted red peppers, and mozzarella.
I expect we'll be hearing lots more from King James' pizza chain.
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