"Los Angeles-based chain Blaze Pizza announced a development deal this week that will see a group of New Orleans-based partners open five new locations of the restaurant between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. There are two local outposts already of the LeBron James-backed brand, which launched its first location on O’Keefe Avenue in the CBD in 2015 and opened on Freret Street two years later. The “fast-fir’d” pizza chain is known for personal sized, build-your-own pies priced affordably (Blaze says an average pie costs about $8). Founded in California in 2012, it was an early part of the massive growth of fast-casual pizza chains a few years back." - Clair Lorell