This Is How Much Blaze Pizza Employees Really Make

With 315 locations across the country, Blaze Pizza is a fast-growing company and has come a long way from its suburban California roots (via ScrapeHero). Forbes rated it as the fastest-growing pizza chain in the United States, which is saying something. Blaze Pizza took the country by storm with its personal, customizable pizza, which founders Rick and Elise Wetzel told Inc. was a move inspired by a meal at Chipotle. The popular Mexican chain's production method was designed for efficiency, which is what the Wetzels loved and wanted to include in their pizza restaurant.

If you've never eaten at one of the pizza chain's many locations, you should know Blaze is run in an assembly line style, with a person's pizza being passed onto another employee as more toppings are added. The toppings range from vegan-friendly items such as plant-based spicy chorizo and vegan cheese to flavorful finishes including a bbq drizzle or a balsamic glaze.

With any assembly line style chain, lines can get congested during peak hours. So is this potential stress worth the pay? We'll dive into almost every role you can have at the famous pizza chain, and what you can expect from each position.

The most known role at Blaze Pizza restaurants is probably their assembly line cook, referred to on their website as a Pizza'olo. According to the chain, the main responsibilities of this position are fulfilling pizza orders and operating the cash register. And of course, you get to create some mouthwatering, perfectly doughy pizza. The position is surprisingly very physical. Some qualifications include being able to stand for eight hours and lifting objects that weigh 35-50 pounds. People in this position tend to earn around $12 per hour, according to Indeed.

Another position that operates within Blaze Pizza's restaurants is the assistant general manager. According to Indeed, this can pay up to $40,000 per year and is considered a full-time role. The company's career page states that this person must work 50 hours per week, and he or she needs to possess good communication, leadership, and conflict resolution skills.

Furthermore, Indeed lists off a customer service associate and a lead cashier role under retail. The pay for each of these roles differs, 26 customer service associates reporting to make around $15 per hour, and a lead cashier reporting to make $10.50 per hour.

The pay also fluctuates depending on if you are working a part-time or full-time position. Common part-time positions like cashiers are paid by the hour, which Indeed finds to be around $11. On the flip side, roles such as the retail associate are full-time. This position pays around $30,000 per year. Furthermore, Blaze Pizza does offer a franchising opportunity. Blaze HQ states that the initial franchising fee is $30,000 per restaurant, but the exception is $20,000 per restaurant if you operate a certified training store. The royalty fee is 5% of gross sales and the creative advertising fee is 2% of sales.

If you want to start a franchise, you will also have to contribute a space of at least 1,800 square feet and will need minimum liquidity of about $500,000. Franchise leaders need to go to the company's facility in Pasadena, California, for two weeks of training, followed by two weeks of training at your store. But Ventured found that the average Blaze location brings in $930,000 in revenue. With most Blaze locations costing about $319,800 to $858,000 to run, this makes it a good source of income if you have the money to invest in the franchise process.