The spare, modern restaurant features a long counter where you can watch your pizza being built, assembly-line style. At the same time, McDonald’s said it and Mr. James “mutually chose to end the relationship”. “Their model is literally changing the future of the fast-casual industry altogether”, James said.
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Together with Larry Levy of Levy Restaurants and his business manager, Maverick Carter, James locked up franchise rights in Miami and Chicago.
ESPN reports James was an initial investor in Blaze Pizza, and he now owns ten percent of the company. Like many Americans, James has publicly come around to healthier fast food options.
In what was described as a mutual decision, James has also ended his marketing relationship with McDonald’s Corp. James didn’t waste any time, tweeting to his more than 24 million followers on Thursday morning about his new partnership.
So excited to be to be partnering with @BlazePizza!! In addition to his new deal with Blaze Pizza, James’ list of endorsement partners includes Nike, Beats by Dre, and Coca-Cola.
Rick Wetzel, Blaze Pizza’s co-founder with his wife Elise Wetzel, told Nation’s Restaurant News that the deal does not increase James’ equity stake in the company, but the National Basketball Association icon will be more active in promoting his ties to the brand. “Lebron has a huge social media following, he is a global icon, and he could help bring awareness that Blaze Pizza didn’t have before”, said Blaze Pizza COO Jim Mizes in a phone interview with TheStreet.
Blaze has 88 locations but it’s only in two Ohio cities, Mason and Columbus, where the Cavaliers will play a preseason game Monday against the Grizzlies. “In everything he does, he is totally authentic and unique”.
They couldn’t be seen together in public for years, but now the french fry fetters are gone, and James and Blaze Pizza can embrace each other and make sweet, passionate commercials together, and no one can say a thing. We greatly appreciated the exciting experiences and engagement he’s provided McDonald’s customers and his support of Ronald McDonald House Charities over the past several years.
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“We wish him the best in his future endeavors”, said Lisa McComb, a spokeswoman for the burger chain.
