Pizza News

Gourmet custom pizza chain blazes into Dallas with 4 new locations

Blaze Pizza is coming atchya.

Photo courtesy of Blaze

A gourmet fast-casual pizza concept is gifting Dallas-Fort Worth with pizza pizza pizza: Blaze Pizza has opened a location in Rowlett at 3109 Lakeview Pkwy., the first of several new restaurants coming to the Dallas market this spring.

Local franchisees will open three more locations in Dallas, Irving, and Mesquite, as follows:

Dallas, at 5500 Greenville Ave.
Irving, at 7601 N. MacArthur Blvd.
Mesquite, at 1505 N. Town East Blvd. in the Town East Mall

The Dallas location is anticipated to open on April 20. The Mesquite and Irving locations are expected to open in early May. They'll join locations in Arlington, Frisco, Grand Prairie, and The Colony.

Blaze Pizza CEO and president Mandy Shaw says in a statement that the company is excited to be growing in Dallas' vibrant market.

Based in California, Blaze Pizza was founded in 2011 (as Blaze Fast-Fire'd Pizza) and currently has more than 340 restaurants across 41 states and 6 countries. NASDAQ called it "the pizza chain of the future," and its investors famously include LeBron James.

Blaze is known for its customizable menu and made-to-order pizzas as well as its use of high-quality products including meats with no nitrates and a variety of vegetables. Their extensive options include six crusts such as the original, cauliflower, keto, and gluten-free.

An interactive open-kitchen format allows diners to customize one of the signature pizzas or create their own. The 11-inch, thin-crust pizzas are baked in a blazing hot open-flame oven and ready to eat in 180 seconds.

Sauces include classic red, spicy red, white cream, and garlic pesto.

Cheeses include feta, goat, gorgonzola, ovalini mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, and vegan cheese.

Meats include bacon, chicken, meatballs, Italian sausage, pepperoni, salame, smoked ham and spicy vegan chorizo.

Veggies include artichokes, olives, tomatoes, chopped garlic, bell pepper, jalapenos, mushrooms, red onion, and spinach. (They also try to list oregano, basil, and pineapple as veggies, but that won't fly.)

All locations offer dine-in or takeout via pick-up or curbside service, as well as contactless delivery through its website, mobile app, and third-party delivery partners.

Masks and gloves are required for all team members, hand sanitizer is available for all customers, and food safety procedures are validated by a third-party auditor.

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Tex-Mex News

DosBros Fresh Mexican Grill brings its spin on Chipotle to McKinney

DosBros

A fast-casual Tex-Mex chain from Tennessee of all places has come to Texas: Called DosBros Fresh Mexican Grill, it opened its first location in McKinney at 6451 West University Dr, #500, in a new shopping center west of US-75.

DosBros — which is no relation to Dos Bros Tacos, a local restaurant in Garland — was founded in 2015 in Cleveland, Tennessee, where the chain is headquartered, by partners Kush Shah and Milan Patel. They went on to offer franchising, and DosBros has since grown to more than 40 locations, stretching in a line through the midwest and down to Florida. There are also two locations in India and one in Canada.

Their menu features Tex-Mex staples. “We didn’t really need to reinvent the wheel,” cofounder Kush Shah was quoted saying in an interview with CityScope Magazine. “We just had to come up with something that consumers were already comfortable with.”

The format is similar to Chipotle. You make a choice from burritos, nachos, bowls, tacos, salads, or quesadillas, then choose proteins and toppings.

The protein lineup includes chicken, steak, carnitas pork, barbacoa beef, spicy tofu, veggies, and chicken. Toppings include black or pinto beans, brown or cilantro rice, salsa, fire-roasted peppers, and, for an additional charge, queso or guacamole.

Prices range from $10-$20 per person.

Bringing the concept to McKinney is a group of family members led by husband and wife Markand and Komal Shah, who are residents of McKinney and wanted to bring something fresh to the area. The location is bright and modern, with exposed ceilings painted white and a combination of seating options including wooden benches and high-top tables with white cushioned stools.

tex-mex openings