Iowa State can get ready to join the Blaze Pizza family this Friday at their newest location in Ames!
Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, the fast-casual artisanal pizza concept known for its chef-driven menu and casually hip restaurants, announced today that it will open its third Iowa location, in Ames, on Thursday, April 6th. 
To celebrate the grand opening, the Ames restaurant will offer FREE build-your-own artisanal pizzas on Friday, April 7th from 10:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. The highly anticipated restaurant, which features a 2,000 square foot interior with seating for 62, is located near ISU at 2320 Lincoln Way. Blaze currently has two locations in Iowa in Des Moines at 300 MLK Jr. Pkwy., near the Science Center., and the Valley West Mall (1551 Valley West Dr.).
Blaze Pizza is a modern day “pizza joint” serving up artisanal pizzas that are both fast and affordable. Since its first restaurant debuted in 2012, Blaze has quickly become one of the nation’s hottest restaurant concepts, with fans lining up each day for the custom-built pizzas, freshly made salads, blood orange lemonade and s’more pies. 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 fresh, artisanal ingredients – all for about $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. Restaurants make their 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. Almost all of the pizza and salad ingredients are free of artificial flavors, colors, preservatives and fillers and for pizza fans with specific dietary needs, Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan cheese. The new Ames restaurant will also feature a selection of wine and draft beer.
“Our mission at Blaze is really simple – we’re taking pizza back to its roots, “said Jim Mizes, president & COO of Blaze Pizza. “By making dough in-house, carefully sourcing ingredients, and cooking by fire, we’re giving guests a great way to enjoy artisanal pizza without the wait. It’s changing the way people think about and eat pizza.”
Blaze’s obsessive attention to detail extends well beyond the food, with a carefully considered, modern approach to restaurant design. Driven by its commitment to “Intelligent Choices for Our Pizzas, People & Planet,” the restaurant is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, uses eco-friendly packaging, and features energy-efficient LED lighting. Additionally, many of the restaurant’s unconventional design elements were inspired by the company’s celebration of individual expression.
Blaze Pizza is looking forward to continuing to build strong roots within the community. To that end, the company has developed a turn-key in-restaurant fundraiser program that returns 20% of an event’s proceeds back to local organizations, and will be partnering with local schools, sports clubs and other organizations to host fundraising events at the new restaurant.