Are you thinking about investing in Blaze Pizza? Here’s what you need to know about the company and how to invest in their stock.
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Introduction
Blaze Pizza is a fast casual pizza chain founded in 2012. As of 2019, it has 315 locations across the United States and Canada. The company has been listed on the NASDAQ since October 2014.
The Blaze Pizza brand offers made-to-order pizzas with a wide selection of toppings. The pizzas are cooked in about 180 seconds in a high-heat open-flame oven. The company also offers salads, appetizers, and drinks.
Why invest in Blaze Pizza?
Blaze Pizza is a chain of fast casual pizza restaurants founded in 2011. The company specializes in customizable pizzas which are made-to-order and cooked in 180 seconds in an open-flame oven.
As of July 2018, Blaze Pizza has over 300 locations across the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and Asia. In October 2012, Blaze Pizza raised $13.8 million in Series A financing led by Weston Presidio. In March 2014, the company raised $17 million in Series B financing led by Leucadia National Corporation. In December 2016, the company raised an additional $100 million in growth capital from funds managed by Goldman Sachs.
Blaze Pizza went public on October 10th, 2016, trading on NASDAQ under the ticker BLAZ. On its first day of trading, the stock closed up 31% at $20 per share.
The company has been ranked #5 on Fast Company’s “The Most Innovative Companies in LA” list (2017) and was ranked #3 on Fast Casual’s “Top 100 Movers & Shakers” list (2017).
The business model
Blaze Pizza is a chain of fast casual pizza restaurants founded in 2012. The company is headquartered in Pasadena, California. As of October 2019, Blaze Pizza had 315 locations, including 151 company-owned and 164 franchised locations.
The company offers a build-your-own pizza model in which customers can choose from a variety of toppings for their pizzas which are then cooked in an open kitchen.
The company was founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel, who also co-founded Wetzel’s Pretzels. In September 2012, the company raised $13 million in Series A funding led by Brentwood Associates. In May 2014, the company raised $30 million in Series B funding led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, followed by an additional $22 million in November 2014. In January 2015, Blaze Pizza announced it had raised $75 million in Series C funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with participation from earlier investors.
As of 2019, Blaze Pizza had annual revenue of $359 million and was the fastest growing restaurant chain in the United States.
The competitive landscape
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the United States and has been for decades. The Pizza Industry is a $30 billion industry in the U.S. alone, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With that said, there are a lot of different players in the space, which can make it hard to know how to invest in pizza.
The two largest players in the space are Domino’s (NYSE: DPZ) and Papa John’s (NASDAQ: PZZA). These two companies control around 40% of the market share, but there are also regional players like Blaze Pizza that have a significant presence in certain areas.
When it comes to investing in pizza, you need to evaluate the competitive landscape. Who are the major players? How much market share do they have? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
Once you have a good understanding of the competitive landscape, you can start to narrow down your options and make an informed investment decision.
The management team
The management team is the engine that makes Blaze Pizza run. We are a dedicated group of pizza fanatics who are committed to making the best fast-casual pizza experience for our guests.
We start with our co-founder and CEO, Elise Wetzel, who has more than 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry. She was most recently the President of Wetzel’s Pretzels, where she oversaw more than 500 stores in 26 states. Elise is a passionate entrepreneur and knows what it takes to build a successful restaurant brand.
Our Chief Operating Officer is Jim Mizes, who also happens to be our co-founder. Jim has more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including 15 years with Boston Market where he oversaw 1,200 restaurants as Senior Vice President of Operations. Jim’s experience is invaluable as we continue to grow Blaze Pizza.
Our Executive Vice President of Development is Randy Watkins. Randy has been with Blaze since the very beginning and has played a key role in our growth. He has more than 20 years of experience in real estate and development, and he’s helped us secure some of the best locations for our restaurants.
Our Executive Vice President of Operations is David Hooker. David oversees all aspects of our operations, from food preparation to guest service to restaurant maintenance. He has more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including stints with Buffalo Wild Wings and Pizzeria Uno.
Last but not least, we have our Chief Marketing Officer, Scott Crane. Scott oversees all aspects of marketing for Blaze Pizza, from advertising to social media to promotions. He has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, including stints at AOL and Yahoo!.
The growth strategy
Blaze Pizza is a company that is expanding rapidly. In order to continue this growth, the company needs to invest in new locations. The goal is to have 2,000 stores open by 2025.
To achieve this, Blaze Pizza has a few options. The company can open new stores, franchise existing stores, or License their concept to other businesses.
Opening new stores is the most common growth strategy for restaurants. It’s also the riskiest because it requires the most capital. Blaze Pizza currently has about 300 locations, so they would need to open 1,700 new stores to reach their goal.
Franchising is when a company allows another business to use their brand name and operating procedures in exchange for a fee. This fee can be a percentage of sales or a flat rate. For example, McDonald’s charges its franchisees a percentage of sales. Blaze Pizza has franchised about 50 of its locations.
Licensing is when a company allows another business to use their patents, copyrights, or trademarks in exchange for a royalty fee. For example, Coca-Cola licenses its name and logo to companies that sell Coca-Cola branded merchandise like t-shirts and hats. Blaze Pizza has not licensed their concept as of yet but it is something they are considering as they look for ways to grow quickly.
The best growth strategy for Blaze Pizza depends on many factors including the availability of capital, the willingness of franchisees and licensees to open new locations, and the markets they are targeting.
The financials
In order to make money from investing in Blaze Pizza, you need to understand the company’s financials. The most important financial metric for Blaze Pizza is same-store sales growth. This is a measure of how much sales are growing at locations that have been open for at least a year. If same-store sales are growing, it means that more people are coming to Blaze Pizza and spending more money.
Another important financial metric for Blaze Pizza is earnings per share (EPS). This is a measure of how much profit the company is making per share of stock. If EPS is growing, it means that the company is becoming more profitable.
The third financial metric to watch for Blaze Pizza is revenue growth. This is a measure of how much total sales are growing. If revenue is growing, it means that more people are buying Blaze Pizza products and the company is making more money.
To get an idea of whether or not Blaze Pizza is a good investment, you need to look at these three financial metrics and compare them to other companies in the industry. If Blaze Pizza is doing better than its competitors on these measures, it’s a good sign that the company is doing well and is likely to continue doing well in the future.
Risks and challenges
The biggest challenge for Blaze Pizza will be to maintain its brand identity as it expands nationwide. In order to do this, the company will need to focus on quality control and customer service. Additionally, Blaze Pizza will need to carefully manage its supply chain in order to ensure that its pizzas are consistently fresh and of the highest quality.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about Blaze Pizza, it’s time to start investing. Here are some tips on how to get started:
-First, research the company and the industry. Make sure you understand what Blaze Pizza does and how it makes money.
-Next, consider your investment goals. Are you looking for income or growth? Blaze Pizza offers both, but growth potential is probably higher.
-Then, decide how much you want to invest. You can buy shares of Blaze Pizza stock directly from the company or through a broker.
-Finally, monitor your investment and make sure you are comfortable with the risks. blaze pizza is a young company and the stock is volatile. But if you believe in the long-term potential of the business, it could be a great addition to your portfolio.
FAQ
##What is Blaze Pizza?
Blaze Pizza is a fast casual pizza chain founded in 2012. The company has over 300 locations in the United States and Canada.
##How do I invest in Blaze Pizza?
You can invest in Blaze Pizza by buying shares of the company’s stock. Blaze Pizza is a publicly traded company, so you can purchase shares through a broker or online trading platform.
##What are the risks of investing in Blaze Pizza?
As with any investment, there are risks involved with investing in Blaze Pizza. The company’s stock price may fluctuate, and you could lose money if you sell your shares at a lower price than what you paid for them.
##What are the benefits of investing in Blaze Pizza?
The potential benefits of investing in Blaze Pizza include the possibility of earning dividends, as well as capital appreciation if the company’s stock price increases.
