Blaze Pizza Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Blaze Pizza is a fast-casual franchise serving build-your-own, fast-fired artisan pizzas made to order at one price. Franchisees run restaurants managing assembly-line service, fresh inventory, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Blaze Pizza franchise requires a total initial investment of $757K – $1.3M, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 49 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $757K – $1.3M
- 89th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 11th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 230
- 85th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $757K – $1.3M including a $30K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 is segmented by location type (208 Traditional Locations, 10 Mall Storefront Locations) and reports average, top-20% average, and bottom-20% average Gross Sales for FY2025 only; no single blended average/net income figure is disclosed, and no franchisee net income/profit figure is given.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 83/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 49 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -14.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Blaze Pizza, LLC
- Parent company
- Blaze Pizza Holdings, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- BA V Pizza Holdings, LLC / BA VI Pizza Holdings, LLC / BA VI-A Pizza, L.P. (Brentwood Associates funds)
- Predecessor
- PYR Pizza, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- John Owen
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 2859 Paces Ferry Rd. SE, Suite 350, Atlanta, GA 30339
- Auditor
- Deloitte & Touche LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $21.1M
- vs $23.6M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- John Owen
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2011
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 38
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 56% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Architect / Engineer | $13K | $28K | |
| Permits and Liquor Licensing | $5K | $25K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $300K | $500K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Decor | $225K | $325K | |
| Signage and Graphics | $20K | $40K | |
| Grand Opening Kit, Menu Boards | $5K | $6K | |
| Computer/Information Systems | $3K | $15K | |
| Uniforms, Initial Inventory and Smallware | $24K | $42K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising Program | $10K | $30K | |
| Grand Opening Free Pizzas | $0 | $6K | |
| Insurance Deposits | $500 | $5K | |
| First Month's Rent / Security Deposit | $3K | $24K | |
| Initial Training Expenses | $4K | $9K | |
| Professional Fees | $5K | $15K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $20K | $45K | |
| Total initial investment | $667K | $1.1M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $757K – $1.3M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $200 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $24K – $42K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Blaze Pizza did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Blaze Pizza unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
11%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 is segmented by location type (208 Traditional Locations, 10 Mall Storefront Locations) and reports average, top-20% average, and bottom-20% average Gross Sales for FY2025 only; no single blended average/net income figure is disclosed, and no franchisee net income/profit figure is given.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Median gross sales
- $1.2M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- average, top 20%, bottom 20% Gross Sales by location type (Traditional vs Mall Storefront)
- Sample size
- 208
- vs category median 20 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $378K→$3.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $767K→$2.1M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 5 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 782 Quick-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports average, top 20%, bottom 20% Gross Sales by location type (Traditional vs Mall Storefront) rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System contracting at -14.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Blaze Pizza Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 230
- Opened
- 13
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 20
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 18
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 13.8%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -14.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -14.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 6
- Closed (3yr)
- 29
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 6
- Transfers (3yr)
- 11
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 10.9%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 89.8%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 7 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 49
- Loan volume
- $35.4M
- Median loan
- $650K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 22
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 6.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 10.8%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 2,160
- 7.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 23%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 65% went to startups / new businesses, 35% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in limited-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 10.8% vs 10.0% for independents — franchising is associated with 8% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Blaze Pizza charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Blaze Pizza franchisees
Showing 3 of 22 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Blaze Pizza's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 14 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 12-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 49 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Blaze Pizza presents elevated risk due to contracting unit economics, undisclosed profitability metrics, consumer litigation history, and high capital requirements in a declining system.
Litigation (Item 3)
Zebrasky v. Blaze Pizza, LLC (2019 CA class action) alleging failure to redeem gift cards under $10 in violation of CA Gift Card Law; settled for $1,500 plus $67,000 attorney fees and egift card issuance.
Largest disclosed settlement: $68,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Deloitte & Touche LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 83 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 10.2% YoY (265 units) — indicates systemic challenges or market saturation
- 02MEDNo disclosed net income data despite $1.28M avg revenue — opacity raises profitability concerns
- 03HIGHLitigation history (Zebrasky 2019-2020) involving consumer protection and gift card mishandling — suggests operational/compliance issues
- 04MINOR5% royalty on gross sales (not net) — franchisees pay even during unprofitable months
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory sizeℹ | variable |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 7 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 27 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Laws of the state where the Franchisee's Restaurant is located |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Zebrasky v. Blaze Pizza, LLC (2019 CA class action) alleging failure to redeem gift cards under $10 in violation of CA Gift Card Law; settled for $1,500 plus $67,000 attorney fees and egift card issuance.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 5 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 75 hrs
- Training location
- Corporate NCTR/Franchise Operated NCTR and your Restaurant
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 75 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
86 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Blaze Pizza · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Blaze Pizza franchise?
The total investment to open a Blaze Pizza franchise ranges from $757K – $1.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Blaze Pizza franchise owners earn?
Blaze Pizza does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Blaze Pizza FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Blaze Pizza FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Blaze Pizza's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Blaze Pizza has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 49 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Blaze Pizza franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Blaze Pizza has 230 total units in the United States, including 230 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 13 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Blaze Pizza a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Blaze Pizza as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 83 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Blaze Pizza, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.