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Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza to open first Calgary location

Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza will open its first Calgary, Canada, location Thursday.

February 2, 2016

Blaze Fast Fire'd Pizza will open its first Calgary, Canada, location Thursday. To celebrate the grand opening, the restaurant will offer free build-your-own pizzas from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., Friday to anyone who follows Blaze Pizza on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, according to a company press release.

The restaurant, which features a 2,400-square-foot interior with seating for 55, is located at 2618 32nd St. NE by Sunridge Mall, next to Five Guys and near Buffalo Wild Wings. In July, a second Calgary restaurant will open at 2020 4th St. SW. Blaze debuted in Canada in October 2015 with the opening of its Toronto location near Dundas Square (10 Dundas St. East).

"Our mission at Blaze is really simple — we're taking pizza back to its roots, " said Jim Mizes, president and 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."

The restaurant will be constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, use energy-efficient LED lighting and will feature eco-friendly, compostable packaging, the release stated. Blaze will also promote a turnkey fundraiser program that returns 20 percent of an event's proceeds back to the organization, helping schools, sports clubs and other local groups.

"Blaze received a warm reception from Canadian guests since opening in Toronto last year," said Darven Erickson, Blaze Pizza franchise partner. "They know we offer a one-of-a-kind, interactive experience, along with a wide range of artisanal ingredients, to create their ideal pie, at a great value. We look forward to continued growth in Canada."

Blaze Pizza is being developed in Canada by Five Star Blaze Holdings Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cypress Five Star LLC, led by Robert Baxter, Blair Walker and Darven Erickson. Cypress Five Star LLC has operated restaurants in Canada for more than five years, employing nearly 1,000 residents in its 42 Canadian restaurants. The development area for Blaze Pizza includes the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.