{"id":2265381,"date":"2024-06-11T19:00:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T23:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-californian-exodus-continues-as-a-major-pizza-chain-relocates-to-georgia\/"},"modified":"2024-06-11T19:02:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T23:02:45","slug":"the-californian-exodus-continues-as-a-major-pizza-chain-relocates-to-georgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-californian-exodus-continues-as-a-major-pizza-chain-relocates-to-georgia\/","title":{"rendered":"California&#8217;s Exodus Persists: Major Pizza Chain Moves to Georgia"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-californian-exodus-continues-as-a-major-pizza-chain-relocates-to-georgia%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2265381&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article\u200d discusses the ongoing phenomenon of businesses leaving California due to unfavorable\u200c business conditions. Notably, Blaze Pizza, a fast-casual restaurant chain initially based in California and backed by investor LeBron James, has decided\u2062 to \u2062move its corporate headquarters to Georgia. The company, established in 2011, is renowned for \u200ba service style where customers choose pizza toppings as employees assemble the pizza. This relocation includes shifting most of the \u206460 corporate staff to\u2064 remote roles, with a small number relocating to \u2064a new campus in Atlanta.<\/p>\n<p>The CEO of Blaze Pizza, Beto\u2063 Guajardo, stated that although\u2062 the brand started in California and holds\u200d a significant place in its history, relocating will help propel future growth. Despite not citing specific reasons for the move in the statement, the context suggests that recent legislative changes in California, particularly the increase in the minimum wage to $20\u200b per hour for \u2064fast food workers, could \u2063be a contributing\u200c factor. This law, effective from April 202iseum, has reportedly led to significant job losses \u200cin the sector and increased business costs, prompting other companies besides Blaze Pizza to either relocate or consider similar measures. The article\u2064 also underscores a broader trend of businesses leaving California, with some relocating to states like Texas, Arizona, and Florida, among others. This mass exodus is attributed to what many view as anti-business policies in California, which have \u2064also catalyzed a population decline significant enough to potentially impact congressional representation in the future.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/igcolonel\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/igcolonel\/%20\"><span>Warner Todd Huston<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 11, 2024 at 2:37pm <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>California has been one of the top states to flee for both citizens and businesses \u2014 and now the Golden State has lost another major company.<\/p>\n<p>Blaze Pizza announced last week that it is abandoning California to re-establish its headquarters in Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/for-the-love-of-all-that-is-holy-stop-backing-into-parking-spaces\/\" title=\"For The Love Of All That Is Holy, Stop Support Into Parking Spaces\">fast-casual dining establishment<\/a>, which was founded in California in 2011, is known for its Subway-like setup where customers pick the toppings they want from various fresh ingredients as employees assemble their specially ordered pizza in front of them.<\/p>\n<p>But California no longer will be the home base for the company, which counts NBA star LeBron James as an investor, the industry site <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantbusinessonline.com\/financing\/blaze-pizza-moving-its-headquarters-atlanta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Restaurant Business<\/a> reported June 4.<\/p>\n<p>Blaze Pizza said its move to Georgia will be completed by September. Most of the company\u2019s 60 corporate employees will work remotely, while a small percentage will be asked to relocate to the new campus in Atlanta.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCalifornia is where this brand was born more than a decade ago, and we have a tremendous heart for communities across the state where so many of our restaurants are,\u201d CEO Beto Guajardo said in a statement. \u201cMoving our corporate headquarters to Atlanta will help us drive our next wave of growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As 2023 came to a close, the pizza chain counted 295 restaurants in the United States \u2014 with 93 locations in California, <a href=\"https:\/\/ktla.com\/news\/local-news\/this-pizza-chain-is-the-next-business-to-move-its-headquarters-out-of-california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KTLA-TV<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>According to data compiled by <a href=\"https:\/\/buildremote.co\/companies\/companies-leaving-california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Build Remote<\/a>, at least 100 companies have fled the Golden State since 2020. Nearly half of them went to Texas, but other states are increasingly welcoming California companies, including Arizona, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina and Ohio.<\/p>\n<p>Blaze Pizza did not offer any reasons for its big move, but California recently burdened its fast-food industry with a new $20-per-hour minimum wage.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Would you start a business today in California?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The legislation, signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, has cost the state some 10,000 jobs and counting in the restaurant sector, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2024\/06\/06\/business\/california-fast-food-restaurants-have-cut-10000-jobs-since-passing-20-minimum-wage-business-agency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The loss of revenue and jobs has been so steep that the California Business and Industrial Alliance trade group <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/california-trade-group-reveals-devastating-impact-20-minimum-wage-publishes-full-page-memoriam\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a> a full-page ad this month featuring an <a href=\"https:\/\/cabia.org\/app\/uploads\/240604_CABIA_USATodayAd_InMemoriam-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cIn Memoriam\u201d rundown<\/a> of the companies that have fired workers thanks to the rising costs in the anti-business state.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\ud83d\udce2 Today, we called out <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GavinNewsom?\">@GavinNewsom<\/a> in a full-page ad in USA Today for the harmful impact of California\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/californias-fast-food-wage-mandate-hits-working-class-wallets-but-not-gavin-newsoms\/\" title=\"California's Fast-Food Minimum Wage Impact on Low-Income Workers, Excludes Gavin Newsom\">recent minimum wage hike<\/a> on fast-food restaurants. Nearly 10,000 jobs lost since AB 1228 was signed into law. CA deserves better policies that support growth and stability.\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CCpAk3L2j0\">pic.twitter.com\/CCpAk3L2j0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 @cabia (@cabia_speakup) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/cabia_speakup\/status\/1798743470963847180?\">June 6, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The ad noted that two Pizza Hut owners <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/1100-pizza-hut-delivery-drivers-set-get-axe-ahead-blue-state-minimum-wage-hike\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">eliminated<\/a> all delivery drivers, and more than 1,200 drivers were impacted.<\/p>\n<p>Then there is the franchise owner who operates 140 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/burger-king-n-others-raise-prices-significantly-2-days-californias-20-minimum-wage-kicks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Burger King<\/a> locations and said he intended to \u201cslash worker\u2019 hours and expedite the rollout of self-service kiosks to cut down on labor costs in response to the state\u2019s new $20 minimum wage,\u201d the ad said.<\/p>\n<p>CABIA also reported that Scott Roderick, a McDonald\u2019s franchisee who owns 18 California locations, said he has had to \u201crethink his business strategy in the wake of the new law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-trade-group-reveals-devastating-impact-of-20-minimum-wage-publishes-full-page-in-memoriam\/\" title=\"California Trade Group Highlights Severe Effects of  Minimum Wage, Issues Full-Page 'In Memoriam' Notice\">extraordinary labor costs stressing restaurants<\/a> P&#038;Ls right now,\u201d Roderick said, referring to profits and losses.<\/p>\n<p>The new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dir.ca.gov\/dlse\/Fast-Food-Minimum-Wage-FAQ.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">minimum-wage law<\/a> has also negatively affected employees at Cinnabon\/Auntie Anne\u2019s, El Pollo Loco, Excalibur Pizza, Mod Pizza, Rubio\u2019s, Vitality Bowls and other businesses in the state.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Rubio\u2019s Coastal Grill was the latest to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mexican-chain-rubios-closing-48-locations-2-months-california-changed-law\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announce<\/a> that it was closing restaurants in California. The company said it was shuttering 48 locations because of the new minimum-wage law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking the decision to close a store is never an easy one,\u201d the company said. \u201cThe closings were brought about by the rising cost of doing business in California.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The minimum-wage law was <a href=\"https:\/\/calmatters.org\/economy\/2023\/12\/minimum-wage-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approved<\/a> by the Democrat-controlled state Legislature last year and went into effect April 1, forcing most \u2014 but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/newsoms-restaurant-pays-16-hour-despite-law-crippling-fast-food-chains-20-minimum-wage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">not all<\/a> \u2014 fast-food operations to pay workers $20 an hour.<\/p>\n<p>These onerous laws are business killers and take more jobs away from the very people they claim to want to help. Such laws also end up chasing both businesses and citizens <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/take-cali-decades-recover-census-discovery-mass-exodus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">out of the state<\/a> and to other, more prosperous states. California has lost so many citizens that the state is on track to <a href=\"https:\/\/thecensusproject.org\/2023\/09\/21\/california-could-lose-5-congressional-seats-in-2030-apportionment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lose several seats<\/a> in Congress.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all more evidence that, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zCjW6vnyWg4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dennis Prager says<\/a>, the left destroys everything it touches.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>An Important Message from Our Staff:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We who work here at The Western Journal have fought for years against Big Tech and the elites who want to shut us down and then shut America down. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Make no mistake \u2014 nothing will be the same after November 2024. Will you help us fight? Will you <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>help us expose the America-hating elites<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  who will do everything they can to steal this election? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We\u2019re a small group of people fighting to save the country for our readers and for our own family and friends. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Can we count on your help?<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i><span>At this point, Big Tech has cut off our access to 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone took 90% of your paycheck and there was nothing you could do. They\u2019re trying to starve us out.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Donations from readers like you have literally helped keep our lights on, and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>we need you<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  now more than ever. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We operate on a shoestring budget, but with that budget, we terrify the globalists. Please help us continue the fight. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>, and we will never surrender.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Thank you for reading The Western Journal and for believing in America. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>It is a pleasure to serve you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. Please don\u2019t let the America-hating left win. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=BM6XAWRJ8NS7A&#038;utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Stand with us today<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-43\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/igcolonel\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-43\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-43\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-43\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-43\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Warner Todd Huston has been writing editorials and news since 2001 but started his writing career penning articles about U.S. history back in the early 1990s. Huston has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN and several local Chicago news programs to discuss the issues of the day. Additionally, he is a regular guest on radio programs from coast to coast. Huston has also been a Breitbart News contributor since 2009. Warner works out of the Chicago area, a place he calls a &#8220;target-rich environment&#8221; for political news. Follow him on Truth Social at @WarnerToddHuston.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Warner Todd Huston has been writing editorials and news since 2001 but started his writing career penning articles about U.S. history back in the early 1990s. Huston has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business Network, CNN and several local Chicago news programs to discuss the issues of the day. Additionally, he is a regular guest on radio programs from coast to coast. Huston has also been a Breitbart News contributor since 2009. Warner works out of the Chicago area, a place he calls a &#8220;target-rich environment&#8221; for political news. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California, a state increasingly abandoned by residents and businesses, has lost another major company. Blaze Pizza announced last week its decision to move its headquarters from California to Georgia, joining the exodus from the Golden State. This shift marks a significant departure for the fast-casual dining chain<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":2265382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Blaze-Pizza.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2265381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Blaze-Pizza.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2265381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2265381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2265382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2265381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2265381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2265381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}