Blaze Pizza with Eliza Skinner

"Blaze Pizza with Eliza Skinner" is Episode 268 of *Doughboys*, hosted by Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger. "Blaze Pizza with Eliza Skinner" was released on September 10, 2020.

## Synopsis

Eliza Skinner (*The Late Late Show*, *Earth To Ned*, *Regarding My Lovers*) join the 'boys to talk childhood collections, theme parks, and Blaze Pizza. Plus, everyone picks their favorite aliens in the Mount Gushmore segment.

## Nick's intro

On June 16, 1975, the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks consummated a five-player trade that would land Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in purple and gold. The acquisition of the league's all-time leading scorer would help propel the Showtime Lakers to five NBA championships in the 1980s, entrenching Kareem's legacy as one of the greatest, if not *the* greatest, of all-time.

But one of the players exchanged for Kareem would become a legend in his own right, a first-round draft pick out of Louisville named Junior Bridgeman.

In the off-seasons during his esteemed 12-year NBA career, mostly spent with the Bucks, Bridgeman dutifully learned the ins and outs of fast-food franchising by working at a Wendy's drive-thru and after he and his jersey were retired, he invested his earnings into becoming a franchise owner himself.

Bridgman ably bridged the gap to this new phase of his career, eventually coming to own over 160 Wendy's and 120 Chili's locations, amassing a fast-food fortune that dwarfed his earnings as a player.

And his success would inspire the next generation of athletes turned chain-restaurant entrepreneurs, including Magic Johnson (who established Starbuck's and TGI Friday's franchises), Jamal Mashburn (who owns dozens of Outback Steakhouses and Papa John's), and current Laker and the man who may someday challenge Kareem's scoring title, LeBron James, who in 2012 invested one million dollars in a start-up pizza chain founded by Wetzel's Pretzels luminaries, Rick and Elise Wetzel.

The concept was inspired by the couple's trip to a Pasadena Chipotle outlet, where this king and queen of twisted dough quickly realized the counter-service workflow could apply to another type of dough, personal pizzas. Customized to order and quickfired in ovens that can reach 900 degrees, the build-your-own-za gimmick was a monster hit and the eatery became the fastest-growing fast-casual chain of not just the 2010s, but of all-time, on pace for 1000 locations this coming decade.

Today, James' initial investment has grown almost fifty-fold and his hybrid franchise-owner/spokesperson role has proved beneficial for both he and the Wetzel's Italian-American brainchild.

And while Junior Bridgeman recently exited fast-food franchising in favor of the more lucrative cola bottling, it's his business acumen that's inspired countless professional athletes to thrive after their playing days via chain-restaurant empires.

This week on *Doughboys*: Blaze Pizza.

## Fork rating

This is the first full review of Blaze Pizza, but the restaurant has appeared on the show in the past. Mainly, it was in **Munch Madness: Tournament of Chompions: The Slice is Right** event. Nick claims it did not stay long in that tournament, but it actually made the Finals. In the first round, Blaze defeated Sbarro. It next eliminated Domino's in the semi-finals, but then somehow lost to Domino's in the finals (Munch Madness is chaos).

* Dough Knots
* White Top Signature Pizza (large)
* Hot Link Signature Pizza (personal)
 Mike Mitchell
* Greek Salad
* Dough Knots
* Meat Eater Signature Pizza
	+ Banana Peppers
	+ Cherry Tomatoes
 Eliza Skinner
	+ Gluten-free Crust
* 2-Top Pizza
	+ Keto Crust
	+ Spicy Red Sauce
	+ Goat Cheese
	+ Italian Meatballs
	+ Mushrooms
	+ Arugala

## Mount Gushmore ⛰️👽

For years, the Doughboys have been offering their four favorite items of a category, offering their personal 'Mount Rushmores'. They finally formalize the segment, dubbing it Mount Gushmore.

For this episode, in honor of Eliza and Nick's new show, *Earth to Ned*, they choose and discuss their personal favorite space aliens.

## Quotes

**Mitch**: Why? You're home. You don't travel!

**Nick**: And you are an open Mike!
**Mitch**: I am! I share a lot of shit.

## Photos

Meat Eater Signature PizzaGreek SaladBlood Orange LemonadeHot Link Signature PizzaWhite Top Signature PizzaDough KnotsDough Knot and Pizza Slices