Outside Blaze Pizza along Route 1.
The competition for pizza in College Park just got a little fierier.
On Thursday, Blaze Pizza officially opened to the community, making it College Park’s 13th pizza restaurant.
Michael Stiefvater, College Park economic development coordinator, said having a wide assortment of pizza restaurants in college towns is nothing new.
“It’s difficult to say what triggered this recent set of openings, but college has been synonymous with pizza places for a long time,” Stiefvater said. “This isn’t a strictly College Park phenomenon.”
Located next door to Bagel Place on Route 1, Blaze sits among restaurants like Slices, Ratsie’s, Pizza Kingdom and Terrapin Pizza Mart. But Blaze’s manager Chris Handlon said he isn’t worried.
“We wouldn’t have signed a lease if we didn’t think this was a good idea,” Handlon said. “It’s a good idea opening Blaze simply because there’s enough foot traffic, people love pizza and this is different than what other places here offer.”
Blaze specializes in making personal pizzas in about three minutes, with assembly line-style preparation similar to Chipotle and Sweet Green. The company currently has about 35 locations across the country and plans on expanding its chain to reach a total of 33 states with 40 new locations, according to its website.
Customers start their Blaze experience with an 11-inch thin crust pie. They then move down the line selecting from over 30 toppings to put on their pizza, offering different sauces, meats, cheeses and veggies.
Customers can create a pizza for $7.65, regardless of how many toppings they request.
Only additional charges are made for pizzas that have gluten-free crust and vegan cheese, Handlon said.
“I made my own pizza with spicy tomato sauce, ovalini mozzarella, basil and a pesto drizzle,” sophomore communication major Jenny Rosen said. “It was amazing and so quick for all one price. I like being able to customize it however you want.”
Their menu also offers a selection of nine signature pizzas, which are already crafted by their employees. Some of their choices include “BBQ Chkn,” “Veg Out,” “Meat Eater” and an original “Simple Pie.”
Unlike Slices, Pizza Kingdom and Terrapin Pizza Mart, which stay open until or past midnight on weeknights and weekends, Blaze will close at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Friday and Saturday.
“Slices is good because it stays open late, however Blaze is going to become one of their biggest competitors because its variety of choices,” Rosen said. “It’s like the new Chipotle.”
Slices co-owner Alex Guida said he isn’t concerned with the opening of another pizza restaurant.
“It’s just another pizza shop,” Guida said. “Blaze is nothing special for me. I am ready for the competition.”
