Blaze Pizza hosts Pi Day event
Pi Day is a celebration of the mathematical constant pi. On Tuesday, it will also be a day to celebrate pizza pie, at least at Blaze Pizza.
Though it’s a new holiday, Pi Day is celebrated around the world by math fans. It was first organized by physicist Larry Shaw in 1988, when he worked at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The staff celebrated March 14, chosen because of its similarity to the value of pi, which is often shortened to 3.14.
Since then, it’s taken off around the world. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution recognizing March 14 as Pi Day. In 2012, MIT announced that they would notify accepted students online during Pi Day.
Festivities often include eating some kind of pie — and Blaze Pizza wants that pie to be of the pizza variety. They’re offering a special deal to customers all day on Tuesday.
“The whole promotion is $3.14 all day for the pizza of your choice. It’s almost like a free pizza day,” Lodi franchisee Martha Olmos said.
Customers are invited to come to the pizza restaurant for the “pop up” event, which has been held at Blaze locations for three years.
The pizza chain expects to serve close to 250,000 pizzas at all of their locations on Pi Day. For those studying math, the deal makes Blaze a fun study spot. Pizza is often the quintessential study food. Blaze has a unique spin that makes it even better for hungry teens or anyone else, Olmos said.
“You can make it any which way you want. It’s baked in about 180 seconds, and everyone has time for that!” she said.
The Blaze Pizza chain is known for its open-kitchen concept that allows customers to “custom-build” artisanal pizzas and watch as they are baked. Blaze Pizza offers gluten-free dough and vegan, dairy-free cheese for customers with special diet requirements. The chain as a whole will have special “behind-thescenes” coverage of Pi Day events on Facebook Live and Snapchat. Customers who watch the celebration live will have the opportunity to win free pizza.
A special filter on the Snapchat app will help customers share the Pi Day fun with friends and followers.
For customers who haven’t downloaded Blaze Pizza’s own app, now is a good time, Olmos said. Those who sign up get a free drink, which they can combine with the Pi Day celebration.
On Tuesday only, they can also earn “flames” — the company’s point system — for spending $3 rather than the usual $5 minimum. It adds up, because customers earn a free pizza for every 10 flames they earn.
“So for every $3, you can earn up to two flames per visit,” Olmos said.
Lodi’s Blaze Pizza is located at 1537 Lower Sacramento Road in the Sunwest Village shopping center.