BIRMINGHAM, AL – Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza, a pizza chain owned in part by basketball superstar LeBron James, is about to open its first Alabama location in Birmingham February 15. And customers may be able to get some free pizza on the restaurant’s opening day. The Birmingham location is a 2,800 square foot open kitchen restaurant with interior seating for 68, and an exterior patio, in The Waites, on the corner of Seventh Avenue South and 21st Street South.

Restaurant representatives are looking toi make a big splash in the Magic City, because from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. February 15, anyone who follows the brand on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook will receive a free build-your-own pizza.

Blaze Pizza is looking to building strong roots within the Birmingham community, according to company spokesmen. The local restaurant has developed a turn-key in-restaurant fundraiser program that returns 20 percent of an event’s proceeds back to local organizations, and will be partnering with local schools, sports clubs and other organizations to host fundraising events. A Grand Opening Celebratory Fundraiser is scheduled for February 20 with UAB’s Inter-Fraternity Council. The Birmingham restaurant will also create 50 jobs locally.

“We are very excited to be bringing the Blaze Pizza brand to Birmingham and specifically to the UAB Blazers,” said Greg Hazard, Blaze Pizza Franchisee. “We love their slogan of ‘Forever Blaze’ and we are committed to living up to that challenge.” Hazard said Blaze will open a second location in Tuscaloosa this summer.

“Our mission at Blaze is really simple – we’re taking pizza back to its roots,” said Jim Mizes, president and CEO of Blaze Pizza. “By making dough in-house, using carefully sourced ingredients, and cooking by fire, we’re giving guests a great way to enjoy artisanal pizza without the wait. It’s changing the way people think about and eat pizza.”