Lucas Bravo named chief financial officer of Blaze Pizza
He previously served as senior vice president of finance at GoTo Foods, parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Cinnabon, Jamba, and more.
June 16, 2026
Lucas Bravo has been named chief financial officer of Blaze Pizza, effective immediately. He joins the fast-casual, build-your-own pizza chain with nearly 28 years of experience in various finance, strategic planning, treasury, and operational leadership experience across the restaurant and consumer sectors.
At Blaze, he is charged with overseeing the company’s financial strategy, accounting, treasury, and planning and analysis, as well as supporting the chain’s domestic and international growth initiatives. He is also responsible for overseeing the company’s supply chain and franchise administration and compliance.
“Blaze Pizza is a brand with tremendous potential, a differentiated guest experience, and a passionate franchise community. I’m excited to join the team and help build on the company’s strong foundation as we continue driving profitable growth, operational excellence, and long-term value for our franchisees and stakeholders. I look forward to partnering closely with the leadership team and franchise community to support Blaze Pizza’s next phase of innovation and expansion,” Bravo said in a statement.
Most recently, Bravo served as senior vice president of finance and corporate treasurer at ICAT Logistics. Prior, he was senior vice president of GoTo Foods, parent company of Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Schlotsky’s.
Earlier in his career, he was director of finance and treasury at Burger King for more than seven years, according to his LinkedIn account.
“Lucas brings a strong combination of financial discipline, analytical rigor, and operational insight that will be invaluable as Blaze Pizza continues to strengthen its business and support our franchise partners,” Blaze CEO John Owen said in a statement. “His deep experience across franchised restaurant brands, paired with his ability to modernize finance functions and drive strategic growth, makes him an outstanding addition to our executive leadership team.”
Owen was named to his role in January, joining from Scooter’s Coffee, where he served as chief operations officer. The two executives join the 15-year-old Atlanta-based chain as the system experiences retrenchment amid a challenged fast-casual pizza category. Blaze finished 2025 with 230 domestic units, marking a 13.5% decline year-over-year, while sales were $312.5 million, which was 12.4% lower than 2024, according to Technomic data. The chain peaked at around 340 locations in 2022.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
Follow her on TikTok: @aliciakelso
About the Author
Alicia Kelso
Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News
Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com, and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America, and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.
Follow her on TikTok @aliciakelso
Content Spotlight
The Technomic Top 500: Another tough year for chain restaurants
Top 500 chain restaurant sales slowed again in 2025 as consumers cut back on dining, but sectors like coffee, beverages and snacks and chicken thrived
Featured
Jun 10, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
Recent News
Content Spotlight
Get to know Rick Cardenas, the Darden CEO who started there as a busser
The executive shares his advice, along with his most-binged TV show, favorite sports team, and most-used app
Source: This story originated with Nation's Restaurant News.
View Original Article →