Blaze Pizza, the nation's leading fast casual franchise pizza concept, announced today that Brad Reynolds has joined the executive leadership team as chief financial officer. Reynolds brings to Blaze years of experience leading strategy, M&A and corporate and franchise development for national restaurant brands. In his new role with the rapidly growing fast casual franchise, Reynolds will leverage his strategic expertise to support Blaze's significant growth trajectory.

"We are thrilled to welcome Brad to our executive leadership team in the midst of an exciting period for our brand. As we continue accelerating growth nationwide, Brad's expertise will be an invaluable asset in identifying new opportunities to invest in strategic initiatives targeting development and restaurant profitability," said Mandy Shaw, chief executive officer and president of Blaze Pizza. "Brad's wide-ranging financial background and operational chops, means he offers the perfect blend of insight to add to the mix at Blaze, and I have no doubt his contributions to the brand will surpass our expectations."

Before joining Blaze, Reynolds served as chief operating officer of C3, an innovative restaurant group focused on off-premise growth where he led all operational business units for the rapidly growing company. Additionally, Brad also spent over four years at Smashburger serving as the chief financial officer and senior vice president of franchise strategy leading strategic new store openings, IT, supply chain, licensing, brand development, and strategic mergers and acquisitions. Reynolds entered the restaurant industry after nearly eight years in investment banking.

"I couldn't think of a better time than now to join Blaze Pizza, with the brand achieving remarkable growth over the past several years even in the face of the obstacles COVID-19 imposed on the restaurant industry. Last year, Blaze pivoted and revolutionized the concept from an operational and development standpoint in a matter of just a few weeks, and I'm thrilled to be joining the executive team responsible for such swift, decisive action," said Reynolds. "This level of momentum coupled with corporate leadership's commitment to innovation and evolution reinforces Blaze Pizza's unlimited potential, and I look forward to all of the great work we'll do together."

With dozens of new locations under development, Blaze Pizza is in the midst of aggressive expansion. Franchise opportunities remain in markets across the U.S., including the Northeast and Texas. For more information about development opportunities with Blaze Pizza, please visit www.blazepizza.com or contact Ed Yancey at [email protected].

Founded in 2011, Blaze Pizza is the nation's leading fast-casual pizza franchise concept with more than 340 restaurants across 38 states and 6 countries. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Blaze Pizza is committed to delivering a one-of-a-kind customer experience and unparalleled high-quality products. Known for its savory artisanal pizzas and customizable made-to-order menu featuring fresh, natural ingredients free from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and sweeteners, Blaze leads the industry in menu innovation and product excellence. The rapidly-growing franchise has received numerous accolades including Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, as well as #1 spots on Fast Casual's Top 100 Movers and Shakers and Franchise Times' Fast and Serious list. Visit blazepizza.com for additional information and stay connected @BlazePizza.