We reported earlier this month that two other pizza chains with similar “fast-casual” concepts — MOD Pizza and Pizzafire — are planning to enter the Dayton-Cincinnati area, each with as many as 10 locations across southwest Ohio. Another chain, Pizzeria Locale, which is affiliated with Chipotle, has chosen Deerfield Twp. as its second Cincinnati-area location. Its first location, in Kenwood, is under construction.
Bowen’s franchise group, Blaze Midwest Inc., owns the rights to the states of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Its director of operations, Ryan Fauble, said plans call for expanding “to all of the major markets in those states over the next four years.
“Dayton is definitely on our radar,” Fauble said.
Rapid Fired Pizza is the trailblazer in this region among restaurants that utilize a Chipotle-style serving line in which customers choose their toppings and watch their meal made. The restaurant co-founded by Ray Wiley, the co-founder of Hot Head Burritos, opened its first location on Ohio 725 near Whole Foods last month, and a second Rapid Fired location is already in the works in Beavercreek near Wright State University.
We’ll explore in-depth this increasingly competitive new segment of the local pizza market on our web site Friday, and in Sunday’s Dayton Daily News.
About the Author
