Not many individuals confess to being fans of Little Caesars’ pizza, but many opt for it as it is an easy, satisfactory, and economical option for a couple of pizzas that can serve an entire family. The franchise has established a dominant presence by offering pizzas that are readily available, which is a significant advantage in our hectic lifestyles. Thus, what is not commonly known about one of America’s top spots for quick pizza pick-up?
Little Caesars was established in 1959 by Mike Ilitch, who took a considerable risk by investing his life savings with his wife, Marian, to launch the pizza business. Their first location was in Garden City, Michigan, and it is still operational today, selling pizzas to customers. Initially, the restaurant was called Little Caesar’s Pizza Treat, and in addition to pizza, they served hot dogs, chicken, shrimp, and fish. On their opening day, they sold 49 pizzas and kept track of their sales in a small notebook. They began franchising in 1962, and 20 years later, they purchased the Detroit Red Wings. In 1992, they also bought the Detroit Tigers, indicating their success knew no bounds. Following a $12-million renovation of the Fox Theater, they relocated their headquarters to Detroit but continued operating the original location for a long time. Even after Mike Ilitch’s passing in 2017, the first Little Caesars store continued operating the next day for the 21,099th time.
Little Caesars recognized the importance of quality ingredients in the food industry and established their 50th location in 1969. By 1971, they were committed to sourcing high-quality ingredients for their restaurants and established Little Caesars Mushroom Farms, Inc. to cultivate, package, and distribute mushrooms to all their locations. This endeavor was so successful that they expanded the product line, and eventually, it transformed into Blue Line Foodservice. While initially created to supply Little Caesars, Blue Line Foodservice diversified its customer base in the 1990s and now operates in 14 locations in the United States and one in Canada.
They have a mobile pizza kitchen for emergencies
Like many companies, Little Caesars recognizes the importance of giving back to the community. However, they have gone the extra mile with their mobile Love Kitchen. The Love Kitchen has been in operation since 1985, and it is a mobile kitchen that travels across the country to provide food to those in need. Their efforts have been recognized with several awards, including presidential commendations from the Reagan, Clinton, and Bush administrations, as well as numerous other acknowledgments and citations.
Little Caesars is committed to providing food to those in need, and they demonstrated this commitment by adding a second mobile kitchen to their fleet in 2014. Since their inception, their mobile kitchens have provided over three million meals to homeless and displaced families. They deploy their mobile kitchens to various locations throughout the year, and during natural disasters, they head to the most devastated areas to provide aid. In 2017, Little Caesars sent their Love Kitchen to Texas to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey. They started by providing food to first responders at the Freeman Coliseum and continued to serve people affected by the disaster. This was not the first time they have provided aid during natural disasters, as they previously sent their Love Kitchen to areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Sandy, as well as to the scenes of devastating wildfires and 9/11.
They did add a Pizza Portal for fast pick-up
Little Caesars introduced something that might be even better than others: the Pizza Portal. The idea was tested in August 2017 and promised to be implemented at locations nationwide. Customers can download the app, place their order, and pay for their pizza, after which they receive a three-digit code. When they arrive at their local Little Caesars, they can go to the Pizza Portal, enter their code, and their pizza will be waiting for them. This is a convenient and innovative way for customers to get their pizza quickly and easily.
The Pizza Portal allows customers to order any type of pizza they want through the app without any restrictions. Little Caesars wants to make it as convenient as possible for customers to get their pizzas, with the ultimate goal of eliminating waiting in lines. This has the added benefit of allowing introverts to pick up their pizza without interacting with people.
They’re investing millions into revitalizing Detroit
According to Crain’s Detroit Business in 2017, Little Caesars has invested a staggering $926 million in projects aimed at revitalizing Detroit, including the construction of the Little Caesars Arena, which will serve as the home stadium for both the Red Wings and the Pistons. About 90 percent of the funds went directly to companies in Michigan. The total cost of the District Detroit project is expected to reach $1.2 billion by completion. The hope is that the arena will help rejuvenate the city and become a new hub for Detroit. The project has its skeptics, but supporters are optimistic about the positive impact it will have on the area.
There’s a hidden message in the logo
Little Caesars, like many companies, puts a lot of thought into its logo, and the toga-wearing mascot is no exception. If you look closely at the hem of some of the toga designs, you’ll notice a decoration that creates the letters “LC” for “Little Caesars.” Not all toga designs have this hidden message, though.
There’s a 243-foot tall Little Caesars in Detroit
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but the biggest Little Caesar statue in the world isn’t a huge shrine-like figure located in a deserted area. Actually, it’s located in Detroit, Michigan and you wouldn’t even know it’s there if you were at ground level. The Little Caesars arena was built in downtown Detroit in 2017 and it boasts a 243-foot tall Little Caesars logo painted on the roof of the arena.
Even though the name of the arena might not be the most glamorous or subtle, it cost nearly $863 million to build, with almost 38% of that cost being covered by Detroit taxpayers, according to M Live. The Little Caesars arena serves as a venue for concerts and is also home to the Detroit Red Wings ice hockey team and the Detroit Pistons basketball team.
Recently, the Little Caesars arena was in the news after the last remaining house in the arena’s district burned down unexpectedly. This house, which was unoccupied at the time of the fire, was the only one that hadn’t been bought by the Ilitch family organization in order to make way for the arena. The organization had paid more than $50 million to private landowners for the land. The two-story house that burned down was built in the 1800s and had a price tag of $5 million, which made it the most expensive house on the market in Detroit in 2017, according to the Detroit Free Press. That’s a lot of money, which could have bought a lot of pizzas.
Little Caesars has offered some odd menu options
Little Caesars is known for its wide range of carb-loaded options, including pasta and pizzas. Over the years, the restaurant has also introduced some quirky and bizarre menu items. In 1993, they offered a spaghetti dinner with four different pasta shapes to cater to a fictional market of take-out spaghetti lovers. Later, they came up with pizza cones, which were not available in restaurants, but could be purchased online by non-profit organizations for fundraising purposes.
Recently, Little Caesars launched the “Crazy Calzony,” which is a collapsed calzone and pepperoni pizza hybrid that some described as a “pizza lab accident.” However, it received a makeover when Little Caesars introduced the Batman Calzony in partnership with the newly released Batman movie. In addition, the restaurant offered crazy bread bouquets for Valentine’s Day in 2022.
Little Caesars is seeking multi-unit franchisees with extensive QSR experience to help grow the brand internationally. Minimum investment for a territory master franchise is about 1,500,000 USD. For more information about Little Caesars Pizza franchise opportunities in your region, please visit https://vffranchiseconsulting.com/brand/little-caesars/ or contact us at info@vffranchiseconsulting.com
