Brentwood Associates Takes Minority Stake in Blaze Pizza

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Brentwood Associates Takes Minority Stake in Blaze Pizza
Fuller Plate: Blaze Pizza CEO Jim Mizes.

West L.A. private equity firm Brentwood Associates took a minority stake this week in Pasadena’s Blaze Pizza, according to the restaurant chain’s spokesman Joshua Levitt.

Blaze, founded in 2012, is one of the fastest-growing fast-casual, make-your-own pizza companies in the country. It has projected its more than 200 restaurants to generate $285 million in sales this year.

Related Link: Fast Casual Pizza Still Delivers

Brentwood Associates recently closed a $1.2 billion fund and is an investor in Santa Monica’s Veggie Grill chain and Huntington Beach’s Lazy Dog Restaurants. The firm was a majority owner of Zoe’s Kitchen Inc. when the restaurant chain went public in 2014.

Related Link: Brentwood Associates Raises $12 Billion in Latest Fund

Founders Rick and Elise Wetzel and original investor Bill Phelps still retain a majority stake in Blaze, Levitt said.

Caroline Anderson is a staff reporter covering restaurants, retail and hospitality. She can be reached at [email protected].

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