---
title: "QSR: Blaze Debuts First Middle East Location in Kuwait City"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/be5bd1d4-56f1-4363-91ff-61339f0fea7b
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/qsr-blaze-debuts-first-middle-east-location-in-kuwait-city-2706020
category: "Pizza"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Pizza"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2018-03-23T16:11:27.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:09:32.207Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/3fb2db6cccf4a23383383394b28b2b318691.jpg
---

# QSR: Blaze Debuts First Middle East Location in Kuwait City

**TL;DR:** Blaze Pizza has opened its first Middle East location in Kuwait City, with six units scheduled to open in Kuwait in 2018. The location is part of an exclusive development deal to open 100 Blaze restaurants in 11 countries.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-03-23. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/qsr-blaze-debuts-first-middle-east-location-in-kuwait-city-2706020).*

## Story

Blaze Pizza has opened its first Middle East location at The Avenues, a shopping center in Kuwait City, Kuwait. The Avenues location is the first of six Blaze Pizza locations scheduled to open in Kuwait in 2018. All six of the units are being built and operated by holding group M.H. Alshaya Co., which has signed an exclusive development deal to open 100 Blaze restaurants in 11 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt and Morocco.

Founded in 2011 by Rick Wetzel of Wetzel’s Pretzels, Blaze Pizza is one of the fastest growing franchises of all time, with more than 250 locations opened in just seven years of franchising. The new restaurant in Kuwait represents a crucial milestone for the brand as it continues to vie for market share among the biggest names in franchising.

“The Avenues is the perfect location to introduce our brand to the Middle East,” says Jim Mizes, president and CEO of Blaze Pizza. “We know that the Blaze brand will resonate with guests around the globe and are committed to its international expansion. We're just getting started.”

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- franchising (topic)
- international expansion (topic)
- Wetzel's Pretzels (company)
- Blaze Pizza (company)
- Kuwait (location)
- middle east market (topic)
- Rick Wetzel (person)
- The Avenues (location)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/qsr-blaze-debuts-first-middle-east-location-in-kuwait-city-2706020). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/be5bd1d4-56f1-4363-91ff-61339f0fea7b).