So by now we have all heard of the ever popular Blaze Pizza that opened this past February on Figueroa. The PR team at Blaze did an amazing job of promoting its big opening by giving away free pizzas to the hungry public.
A line snaked around CVS on its second opening day. The hype was crazy and insane. Instagram was blowing up with Blaze Pizza posts. Miley Cyrus was there. You can read about her new obsession here.
I didn’t get a free pizza, but I did stand 20 minutes in line for one, so that tells you how hungry people are for Blaze Pizza.
Photo by Sharmilee Sivakumaran
It was a huge success, and now Patrick Schwarzenegger can add “successful entrepreneur” to his resume, next to “dating Miley Cyrus” (Do I resent him for this? A little. Do I think if I work hard enough one day I can become a pizza mogul and have Miley as a girlfriend? I have to tell myself I can).
The big question is, now that USC has two build-your-own pizza chains, where should hungry students go when they’re having 3 am drunchies? In this article, we’re going to pit Pizza Studio against Blaze Pizza and see which Pizza store reigns supreme. In one corner, we have Pizza Studio, located near Tuscany on South Figueroa Street. Pizza Studio’s atmosphere is quaint and adorable.
It’s menu options include the cutely named “Starving Artist” option, which is only $5.99 (They also have the “Starving Artist” wall where they feature local art for sale at no charge to the artist). Pizzas are ready in 2 minutes. The Margherita Pizza is a super popular option with students.
In the other corner, we have Blaze Pizza, known as the “hip” alternative to Pizza Studio. Blaze Pizza is not only really good at engaging customers on social media (watch out for the Pi Day deal on March 14th, when all pizza’s are $3.14), but also is aimed at creating the best deals for college students.
Photo by Sharmilee Sivakumaran
Down to the battle. What Pizza Studio has going for it is the customization-they have a slight edge over Blaze Pizza with their more various options. The pizza crust, for example, comes in flavors like rosemary. It adds a dimension of flavor that Blaze Pizza doesn’t have. Their options like truffle salt and zucchini are more dynamic and interesting choices than Blaze Pizza.
Pizza Studio also has a more artsy, cute, hipster vibe going for it, and a more relaxed atmosphere. It’s better for relaxing with friends and having conversations versus Blaze Pizza, where it’s often too loud to have a decent conversation.
However, Blaze wins out in their pizza making art. Blaze’s pizza crusts all have a thickness that even when weighed down by multiple vegetables piled on by starving college students, still stands the test. Their pizzas come out still crisp at the bottom, and holds together. Pizza Studio’s pizzas all come out more watered down, whereas Blaze’s pizzas all hold in flavor and texture.
Blaze’s pizzas also are slightly more flavorful. Maybe because there’s more salt in all the ingredients, but for whatever reason, the pizzas have a stronger flavor profile. I personally loved all pizzas that I got from both places, but Blaze’s pizzas personally always seemed heartier and packed more punch in flavor.
In the end, Pizza Studio provides a great alternative, but Blaze Pizza slightly wins out because of its stronger flavor profile. Either way, visit both places for delicious pizza, and judge for yourself.