When Blaze Pizza was looking for a fresh idea, doing sandwiches was a no-brainer, according to franchisee Joe Stein. Restaurants already have the dough and the ovens.
“You use that same dough, put it in the oven and you have sandwiches,” he said in a phone interview. “All sandwiches start with the bread, right?”
Three of Stein’s restaurants in Riverside County are testing sandwiches made with bread baked daily on the premises.
The locations are 10920 Magnolia Ave., Suite 107, Riverside; 32240 Temecula Parkway, Temecula; and 28210 Clinton Keith Road No. 600, Murrieta.
They serve eight sandwiches, four hot and four cold, at prices starting at $9.65.
“The top cold is the Italian Sub, and No. 2 is the Chicken Pesto. Hot, it’s Meatball and the Sausage Pepperoni.”
In addition, there’s a grilled cheese sandwich for kids, and a turkey sandwich will be added to the menu in a week or two.
“We’re calling it the IE Turkey. It’s sort of a play off the Inland Empire, but also Incredibly Epic. It’s going to have a special sauce that goes with it.”
Stein’s experience includes executive roles in El Pollo Loco and Rubio’s Coastal Grill.
“They try to select somebody who can run a good test,” he said of Blaze’s management.
Blaze Pizza was founded in Pasadena in 2011 but moved its headquarters to Atlanta in June.
Information: blazepizza.com
