Tampa Outlet pizza options expand
The Stampede reviewed MOD, Blaze and Mellow Mushroom pizza restaurants to see which one they like the best.
Mod Pizza Wesley Chapel was the second pizza location to open at the Tampa Premium Outlets.
The Tampa Premium Outlets continue to expand, and latest addition to the restaurant options is Blaze pizza. With this addition, there are now three pizza restaurant options at the Outlets: Blaze pizza, Mod pizza, and Mellow Mushroom. Blaze and Mod are very similar, serving up personal build-your-own pizzas, while Mellow Mushroom is a more traditional sit down restaurant offering full size pies.
MOD pizza menu.
MOD pizza was founded in 2008 by husband and wife, Scott and Ally Svenson. They were in search of quick and affordable pizza, that could be made to anyone’s personal preferences. The first restaurant opened in downtown Seattle and ever since then MOD pizza has continued expanding. A unique fact about MOD, is that they have their own music playlist that plays in all MOD restaurants and is available for download to the public.
MOD opened up in Wesley Chapel on October 9th, 2018. Since then, many students have made this restaurant a favorite hang out spot.
“I like MOD pizza better because I get to build my own pizza and customize it the way I want it,” Meyer said. “It also has a good environment and the people are very nice.”
Blaze pizza was founded three years after MOD by Elise and Rick Wetzel in 2011. Blaze believes that fresh ingredients are important and make fresh dough from scratch daily. They also make the packaging recyclable, compostable, and Eco-friendly. Blaze offers both gluten free and vegan options on their menu.
Blaze pizza opened at the Tampa Outlet on February 5th, 2018. On opening day, Blaze gave free pizza out to customers until 9pm.
Senior Phillip Carvalho, went to the opening of Blaze Pizza.
“I liked the experience because the pizza was good and customizable; and even better, it was free!”
English teacher, Brittnay Doane, prefers Blaze pizza of the three pizza options.
“Blaze pizza allows you to choose the individual toppings and serving size of your pizza; plus, the pizza takes virtually no time to cook and tastes delicious,” Doane said.
Unlike MOD and Blaze, which are quick service personal pizzas, Mellow Mushroom maintains the sit-down restaurant feel. Mellow Mushroom was founded in 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia. Their mission is to provide delicious food in a fun and creative environment. Mellow Mushroom also offers gluten free options on their menu.
Mellow Mushroom opened in Wesley Chapel on April 18th, 2018. One thing that Mellow Mushroom is known for is there unique decor in each restaurant; not one restaurant is the same.
Ethan Myers, a Junior at Wiregrass, works at Mellow Mushroom, and believes it to be the best pizza place.
“The things about Mellow Mushroom that differs from other places includes the atmosphere and the service,” Myers said. “Overall mellow mushroom is like the Chic-fil-a of pizza,” Myers explained.
A pizza from MOD is approximately $7.47 and is the same price no matter what toppings are added. At Blaze pizza it costs $7.25 for a small cheese pizza and then $9.65 for a “build your own” pizza. At Mellow Mushroom it costs $7.99 for a small cheese pizza and on average $12.49 for a small specialty pizza.
Mod, Blaze, and Mellow Mushroom have all have brought new flavors to the Wesley Chapel area and each restaurant provides a unique experience and pizza.
Your donation will support the student journalists of Wiregrass Ranch High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
Alexis Pryor is a senior at Wiregrass Ranch High School. This is her first year writing for The Stampede newspaper. She is part of the varsity volleyball...
Emily Baig is a senior at Wiregrass Ranch. She is on the varsity cheer team. This is her first year writing for The Stampede, but she is excited to begin...
