Shop Around: Harbison Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza to open Jan. 27

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza will open shop at 275 Park Terrace Drive off Harbison Boulevard on Jan. 27, according to restaurant managers. The Park Terrace location is the California chain’s first in South Carolina. Founded by Elise and Rick Wetzel of Wetzel’s Pretzels, Blaze has been backed by investors including NBA star LeBron James, journalist Maria Shriver and Boston Red Sox co-owner Tom Werner.

The 2,500-square-foot eatery will feature the chain’s artisanal pizzas made in an interactive open-kitchen format that allows guests to customize one of the menu’s signature pizzas or create their own. The pizzas are then fast-fired in an oven and ready to serve in 180 seconds. The first Blaze Pizza restaurant opened in 2012 in Irvine, Calif. The company operates 82 restaurants in 20 states. The Harbison location will be the chain’s first in South Carolina.