Free pizza Friday in Henrietta at new fast-casual Blaze Pizza backed by LeBron James

Fans of artisanal pizza will get to sample the latest concept for free in Henrietta Friday. Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza is celebrating its grand opening at 1100 Jefferson Road in Henrietta with a giveaway from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, March 2. People who follow the brand on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook will receive a free build your own pizza. The fast casual pizzeria with 4,000 square feet of space is an open-kitchen restaurant with interior seating for 100 and an exterior patio. It officially opens Thursday.

The Blaze chain initially launched in 2012, in Irvine, California, and currently operates 245 restaurants in 35 states and Canada. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels), the concept is backed by private equity firm Brentwood Associates and founding investors that include LeBron James and former television journalist Maria Shriver.

Blaze Pizza features an interactive open kitchen format that allows guests to customize one of the personal signature pizzas or create your own for around $8. Every pizza features made-from-scratch dough, natural meats and vegetables and is finished in an open flame oven which cooks pizzas in three minutes. Blaze also offers gluten-free dough, vegan cheese and tree-nut free pesto.

This is the first location in the Rochester region. The Rochester restaurant is constructed with recycled and sustainable materials, uses eco-friendly packaging, and features energy-efficient LED lighting.

MCHAO@Gannett.com