Franchise Update Magazine Issue I, 2016 | Page 16

Female Founders BY EDDY GOLDBERG BRAND BUILDERS! I Blaze Pizza is disrupting the industry f you had LeBron James on your team, you’d feel pretty good about your chances of winning—big. And that’s exactly what Blaze “Fast-Fire’d” Pizza intends to do. James made news last October when he didn’t renew his deal with McDonald’s and opted instead to publicly endorse Blaze Pizza. “We’re very lucky to have him,” says Elise Wetzel, who co-founded the brand in 2011 with her husband Rick (of Wetzel’s Pretzel’s). But unlike his paid deal with the Golden Arches, James is an investor in Blaze Pizza. In fact, he’s been one since 2012. “LeBron came on as a founding investor and he had been silent and in the background,” Rick Wetzel told ESPN last fall. “Now we’re using him to get our message out there and put the spotlight on our brand.” Sales last year reached $105 million, up from about $33 million in 2014, and other serious investors agree this concept has legs. Blaze already has sold out the entire U.S. to 44 franchisee groups, including former NBA player and mega-franchisee Junior Bridgeman (365 units: Wendy’s, Chili’s, and now Blaze). As for James, says Elise Wetzel, his brand meshes perfectly with that of Blaze. “He likes being an owner of the business and is not a paid endorser. He believes in the food, likes ‘disruptive,’ and sees we’re a transformative brand. That’s who he is: he strives for excellence and has changed the game by the way he plays.” And that, she adds, is what Blaze is all about as a brand. “My background is in branding. That’s been my most significant contribution to this concept,” she says. “It’s bigger than just opening restaurants and building a business. It’s important for all of us to remember that we’re building a brand.” NAME: Elise Wetzel TITLE: Co-founder COMPANY: Blaze “Fast-Fire’d” Pizza SYSTEM-WIDE REVENUE: $105 million in 2015 NO. OF UNITS: 105 (5 corporate) INTERNATIONAL UNITS: 1 GROWTH PLANS: 2016, 200; 2017, 300; 2018, 400 PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? Private YEAR COMPANY FOUNDED: 2011 YEAR STARTED FRANCHISING: 2013 YOUR YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 3 14 Franchiseupdate ISS U E I, 2 0 1 6 fu1_blaze(14-16).indd 14 2/7/16 2:58 PM