If you’re considering investing in a pizza franchise, then Blaze Pizza is a serious option. As of April 26, 2023, the company owns and runs 303 restaurants in the United States alone. Out of this, there are 296 franchised units, and 7 are corporate restaurants.
Blaze Pizza is emerging as a threat to industry leaders. That includes Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Little Caesar. But most of their popularity stems from adopting the fast-fired, customizable pizza concept.
This made-to-order customer service approach comes from Chipotle, an American fast-casual restaurant. But anyway, we’ll have this discussion some other day.
In this article, I’ll focus on how to invest in Blaze Pizza stock. It will be valuable if you’re looking to invest in Blaze Pizza stock and grow your ROI.
What’s Blaze Pizza?
Before we move any further, it would only be fair if you knew what Blaze Pizza is. It will be helpful if you’re interested in investing in Blaze Pizza stock but have no idea what it is or where to start.
Blaze Pizza is the company that owns and operates a chain of fast-casual artisan pizza stores in the U.S. and beyond. The first flagship store was opened in 2011 by Elise Wetzel in Pasadena, California. Today, there are 303 franchises in the United States and 25 outside the country.
In the U.S., you’ll find Blaze Pizza stores in Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, and 31 other states. Outside America, they have locations in Canada, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and more. And remember that Blaze Pizza serves customers using the made-to-order (MTO) strategy.
What’s Blaze Pizza Stock?
Blaze Pizza requires franchise owners to buy 3-10 units within a 2-3-year period. You may be eligible to develop franchises for many restaurants in a given territory based on your qualifications. Know that Blaze Pizza Restaurants typically mature after 18 months of operation.
When you invest in Blaze Pizza stock, you become a part of the Blaze Pizza family. Thus, you can access the brand recipes and procedures, training, vendors, store build-out, and trade dress. You also get a pass to the company’s website, online ordering, social media, and gift card program.
Do you want to know more about how Blaze Pizza reaches customers? Watch the 4-minute video below where Jim Mizes, CEO and president, talks about it.
Generally, investing in Blaze Pizza stock allows you to secure everything you need. And that is to serve custom-built, unique artisanal pizza. You’ll be able to create delicious pizza at lightning-fast speed in front of your customers. Also, Blaze Pizza’s menu features gluten-free dough, signature salads, and many more.
How To Invest In Blaze Pizza Stock?
There are a few steps to figure out before investing in a fast-casual dining restaurant. Here’s the process you should follow when putting up a Blaze Pizza franchise in your territory:
Step 1. Assess Your Finances
Before investing in Blaze Pizza stock, you’ll want to ensure you meet the required financial threshold. A single Blaze Pizza franchise will set you back $541,500 on the smallest and $1,150,500 on the largest. It covers the following:
- Initial franchise fee
- Royalty fee
- Marketing fee
- Miscellaneous fees
When assessing your finances—you may want to factor in a slew of expenses. These include:
- Building and real estate costs
- Furniture and fixtures
- Licenses and permits
- Uniforms and signs
- Insurance costs
Usually, the total estimated initial investment is about $30,000 per restaurant. But the estimated initial franchise fee will drop to $20,000 if you run a certified training store. Conversely, the furniture and fixtures cost may range from $24,000 to $108,000.
Blaze Pizza imposes a 5-6% continuing royalty fee on gross sales. And a 2% creative (advertising) fee on gross sales.
So, if you plan to invest in Blaze Pizza stock in the United States, it would be best to have liquid cash of at least $500,000. This estimated investment fee should cover all expenses. That includes the first three months of operation.
Disclaimer: These are estimated initial expenses based on the historical costs when investing in Blaze Pizza stock. These figures may change depending on current market conditions and franchise location.
Step 2. Evaluate Your Strengths And Weaknesses
There is no secret that hard work, talent, and drive are crucial for good entrepreneurship. But, there’s one critical factor often overlooked: experience.
Before applying as a Blaze Pizza franchise owner, check your prior experience, strengths, and weaknesses. The more experienced you are, the less you’ll need to leverage others to enhance your business.
For example, if you’ve worked as a multi-restaurant operator for a reasonable time. You’ll most likely have enough experience to run a Blaze Pizza franchise.
It is because you already understand how the industry works. That said, from scheduling to customer service and everything betwixt. Because you know the ins and outs of the food industry, it can help you apply it in your business plan. Also, having experience in a specific sector can aid you in making informed decisions.
Of course, you can still invest in Blaze Pizza stock even without prior experience. Besides, it’s unlikely that you’ll have an upper edge over the competition. If you’re starting a Blaze Pizza franchise— without previous experience—hire people who’ve worked within the industry. Then, from there, you can learn the tricks of the trade.
Step 3. Do Some Market Research
The whole idea of starting a business is to make sales and profits. Once you know you’re well-capitalized to meet the Blaze Pizza franchise’s aggressive development plan, assess the market availability in your area. I recommend you do this before proceeding with your franchising application.
When assessing the target market, you’ll want to ask yourself a few vital questions. For instance, what are the demographic elements of your location? What’s the total number of households in your vicinity? Do most people live in urban or suburban areas? What age group makes up the larger part of the population?
In most cases, pizza lovers are males and females aged between 10 and 50 years. They’re often families from low and middle-income groups who associate fast food with affordability. Children also make the lion’s share of the Cheese Pizza market. Plus, they can inspire family dining decisions.
Generally, though, there is a good market for pizza everywhere. Expressly somewhat predominant in Millennials and Gen Z demographics. Studies show that at least 90% of the U.S. populace eats pizza. It means that if you put in place a robust combination of a superior product, effective marketing, and proper management, you’ll reap big in no time.
Here’s a video illustrating how to advertise pizza. Plus, how to amplify your sales in less time:
Step 4. Submit Your Application
Once settled, it’s time to submit your application to the Blaze Pizza franchise team for review. First, you’ll need to fill out the Blaze Pizza franchise inquiry to start the evaluation process.
In approving or rejecting your franchise application, they will ask you a couple of questions, including:
- The region/market/country you are interested in developing.
- The number of locations you would like to develop.
- Your total liquid assets.
- Information about yourself, your team, or your company.
- Reasons Blaze Pizza should select you over other qualified candidates.
Ideally, the team wants to learn if you’re skilled enough to meet the aggressive development schedule. The company would also like to know if you have Real Estate experience in the market you plan to develop.
As a bonus, ensure that you offer an all-out commitment to the brand’s development. You need to develop a passion for the Blaze Pizza brand to stand out from competitors. That way, your application will stand a chance of getting approved.
Step 5. Await Application Review
The team will review your preliminary online application. Once done, the Blaze Pizza franchise team will email you the decision via info@blazepizza.com. If you meet their initial selection criteria, the team will ask that you submit a formal franchise application. This process is then followed by the signing of the confidentiality form.
Afterward, a conference call will be scheduled. It is where you’ll enter a QA session with one of the company’s franchise representatives. Here, you’ll learn about Blaze and how to “blazify” your customers.
If you’re a good fit for each other, you’ll receive an email with the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). The document provides details of the business relationship between the franchisor and franchisee. As the final step, the team will schedule a face-to-face meeting. And at this point, you’ll complete the Blaze Pizza stock investment deal.
A face-to-face meeting is necessary for the team to conduct your financial and background checks. Only applicants who meet all the criteria will have their applications approved. So, if you seriously want to open your Blaze Pizza franchise, ensure to check all the boxes before forging ahead.
Blaze Pizza Franchise: The Benefits and Risks
Things do not always fall into place when it comes to business, especially if it’s a tremendous stake. Behind every success are boulders you need to take and surpass. So here are some of the benefits and risks of investing in Blaze Pizza stock.
Benefits
- The company provides 75 hours of comprehensive pre-opening training. That is from preparing the menu to marketing the grand opening. You’ll also get a chance to attend 5 hours of in-classroom training.
- Blaze offers ongoing support like lease negotiation, field operations, and proprietary software. They also help franchisees access locations with high traffic, parking convenience, and visibility.
- The brand has effective marketing strategies when it comes to planning and execution. Blaze uses different types of marketing like influencers, mobile, and local stores.
Risks
- A licensee needs full involvement in the daily operation of the shop. It’s not a passive kind of ownership where you wait for the income to pile on its own.
- The competition in the food market is tough. And some brands have been long in the industry, like Pizza Hut, Papa John’s, and many more.
- There are instances when the market falls unexpectedly. Although this is temporary, you need to prepare for the losses. One way to cover this is to ensure you have a source of income besides this investment.
Is Blaze Pizza publicly traded?
Yes, it is! Blaze Pizza allows individuals to buy company stock shares. You can do a transaction via a broker or an electronic trading platform.
How many Blaze Pizzas does Lebron James own?
Lebron has a total of 19 franchises across the country. And his estimated equity stake is around $30 to 40 million.
Conclusion
Depending on your finances, location, and other pertinent factors, Blaze Pizza might be the right franchise for you. The brand has a competitive edge over every chain pizza and mom-and-pop pizzeria. One of the reasons for this massive success is that they serve their pizza at blazing speed. We’re talking about 2-3 minutes serving time.
Another reason that the brand gives intense focus is the new products and ingredients it uses to stay afloat in the market. That—besides a keen eye for franchisees and their profit—makes investing in Blaze Pizza stock attractive. Though, as a polite reminder, you may succeed or fail in this endeavor depending on how you execute your business.
Julie has five years of experience in the restaurant industry, she decided to share her knowledge about her liking and fondness for food and pizza, of course, cooking as her love language. She’s very passionate about what she’s doing, making all the things she writes regarding pizza recipes, very amazing!