Former Sonic executive to lead aggressive unit growth for fast-casual pizza chain
Blaze Pizza named Johnny Jones senior vice president of development. The 20-year franchise and real estate veteran will join the Blaze executive leadership team effective immediately. In his new role, Jones will spearhead the fast-casual pizza chain’s monumental unit growth plans, leading site selection, market planning and negotiating new partnerships and locations.
Jones comes on board after holding the role of vice president of real estate and development for Sonic Drive-In, a subsidiary of Inspire Brands. At Sonic, Jones’s leadership helped achieve a unit count of over 1,000 locations, as he led all aspects of real estate development and construction management, as well as securing franchise development agreements.
Also at Sonic, Jones served in the role of senior director of real estate and development and manager of graphic information systems.
“We are excited to welcome Johnny as the newest member of our Blaze family,” said Mandy Shaw, chief executive officer and president of Blaze Pizza. “His proficiency in real estate development coupled with a deep understanding of the restaurant industry will undoubtedly fuel our ongoing efforts to rapidly expand Blaze’s footprint across the country.”
With recently-announced development deals, the popular franchise pizza is blazing across Texas, Florida and Tennessee, while targeting new markets Northeast and Texas.
“…When I had the opportunity to join the team in charge of growing this trailblazing concept, it was an easy yes for me,” said Jones. “After fourteen months of navigating a pandemic, now’s a great time to accelerate the momentum Blaze has built and expand the brand’s footprint in markets nationwide.”
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