LeBron's Blaze Charts IPO Path With Deliveries, 500-Store Target
- Co-founder Wetzel sees $1 billion IPO in about two years
- Fast-casual pizza chain bets on takeout, delivery for growth
This article is for subscribers only.
Blaze Pizza, the restaurant chain backed by basketball star LeBron James, is expanding deliveries across the U.S. to take on Domino’s and ready itself for an initial public offering.
Founded in 2011, the fast-casual upstart also is going national with a new 14-inch pizza deal for online orders that’s meant to compete with industry stalwarts Domino’s Pizza Inc. and Pizza Hut. Jumping into the to-go and delivery arena means the company may be ready for an IPO in two years, co-founder Rick Wetzel said.