Dive Brief:
- Blaze Pizza launched a new app and reworked loyalty program in partnership with Thanx, the companies said in an emailed press release Monday.
- Thanx and Blaze have already transitioned the brand’s existing 5 million rewards members to the new program.
- Blaze said the rewards program will feature more personalized rewards and that it will add features like in-app exclusives, secret menus and, potentially, brand merchandise.
Dive Insight:
Such perks could help Blaze find a badly needed edge. In recent years, the brand’s store count has fallen as the whole fast casual pizza segment generally has struggled in the post-pandemic period. According to its most recent franchise disclosure document, Blaze had 313 units at the start of 2022 and 296 at the end of 2023. Its store base may have eroded further in the interim: the press release announcing the new loyalty program said the chain had over 270 locations.
Blaze said the new rewards program streamlines the in-store experience, as guests can link their cards to a rewards account, eliminating the need to scan receipts or remember passwords.
The brand said the structure of the program was similar to its previous version, and consumers will continue to receive the same benefits, in addition to the forthcoming additions.
There’s at least one other benefit for Blaze. While proprietary software ecosystems are attractive for massive multinationals like Yum Brands, they can impose onerous costs on smaller brands.
Switching to a partner-built digital system saves Blaze from having to build and maintain its own tech stack. A streamlined platform will allow the chain to reduce costs and development time, the chain said.
“What previously took months to customize can now be done in days, allowing Blaze to quickly iterate and enhance digital offerings,” Blaze said.
Other competing brands in fast casual pizza are also making strategic shifts. &pizza has pivoted to a franchised model, which its CEO hopes will help it expand beyond its traditional markets. Like Blaze, &pizza previously switched away from its own tech stack, partnering with Olo and Toast to reduce costs. While Mod Pizza shuttered stores last year, it was acquired by Elite Restaurant Group in a move that averted bankruptcy.
