Blaze Pizza headquarters moves from California to Georgia – Pasadena Star News

Blaze Pizza in South Pasadena and other locations is baking a special pie — one that raises the temperature — to celebrate the Lakers’ recent victory in the NBA Finals. (File photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

Blaze Pizza is moving the chain’s headquarters from Pasadena to Atlanta.

The company announced this week that the deal, which is expected to be completed by September, is part of its growth strategy. The chain operates in 39 states and has more than 300 restaurants, about a third of California’s restaurants.

Unlike other companies that have left the Golden State, Blaze’s statement about relocating seemed rather sentimental.

“California is where this brand was born more than a decade ago, and we have a tremendous amount of heart for the communities across the state where many of our restaurants are located,” said Beto Guajardo, CEO from Blaze Pizza. “Moving our headquarters to Atlanta will help us fuel our next wave of growth. »

Blaze said that among its approximately 60 employees, the majority would remain remote workers “with a small percentage of Southern California-based employees being offered relocation opportunities to Blaze Pizza’s Atlanta office.” The more than 7,500 restaurant employees are not part of this reorganization and will not be affected.

Blaze Pizza was founded in 2011 in Pasadena by Rick and Elise Wetzel of Wetzel’s Pretzels fame. Its first location opened in Irvine the following year.

The company has gone through some changes in recent years. The Wetzels sold their stake in 2020. CEO Guajardo joined Blaze in January 2023. Shortly after, Brad Kent, co-founder of Blaze and the smart cook behind the concept, left.

Blaze has attracted high-profile investors, including NBA star LeBron James, former California first lady Maria Shriver, film producer John Davis and private equity firm Brentwood Associates.

And the menu is also in transition. Earlier this year, Blaze added meatballs. Then last week, the chain announced its “most significant menu overhaul in its history,” which includes five revamped pizzas: Meat Lovers Pie, Vegetarian Pie, Meatball Pie, Meatball Pie, BBQ/ranch chicken and a four cheese offering. .

The exit follows other Southern California company departures in recent months, including Neutrogena to New Jersey, QuickFee (Texas), Oak View Group (Colorado) and Unical Aviation (Arizona).

Jonathan Lansner is the Southern California News Group’s business columnist. He can be contacted at [email protected]