Little Caesars has built an empire on having pizza ready on demand, becoming America's
premiere pizza pick up chain.
But how much do you know about them?
Here's a look at the untold truth of Little Caesars.
Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch in Garden City, Michigan.
It was a huge risk, as the couple spent their entire life savings opening the doors to their
pizza place on May 8, 1959.
Luckily, it paid off, and in a big way.
The first day they sold 49 pizzas along with other non-standard options like fish, hot
dogs, and chicken.
Within three years, Little Caesars had already been franchised.
"As a franchise owner, you'll find out first hand how much fun you can have being your
own boss!"
By 1982, the chain was big enough that the couple was able to buy the Detroit Red Wings,
and in 1992, they bought the Detroit Tigers.
Not bad for a little mom and pop organization!
The Little Caesars empire doesn't just include sports teams, though.
It also boasts... a mushroom farm?
“What the f--- does that have to do with pizza?"
Okay, here's the deal.
In 1969, Little Caesars opened its 50th location, and by 1971 they were looking for ways to
make sure their restaurants were getting quality ingredients.
The solution: Little Caesars Mushroom Farms, Inc., which allowed them to grow, package,
and distribute mushrooms to all their locations without using an outside vendor.
It worked so well additional products were added, and it gradually became Blue Line Foodservice,
providing fresh food to companies in the US and Canada.
Pizza and delivery seem to go hand in hand, but after flirting with delivery a few years
ago, Little Caesars decided to stick to pick-up only.
And CEO David Scrivano told CNBC in 2017 that isn't going to change anytime soon, citing
customer convenience.
"Our customers know that it is exceptionally fast to pick up a pizza [at Little Caesars]
versus waiting 35 [to] 45 minutes or an hour for delivery."
There's more to it, though, with money being the bottom line, of course.
Delivery fees would raise the price of the pizza, and Little Caesars has prided themselves
on remaining super-affordable, with much of their customer base in economically disadvantaged
areas.
How dedicated are they to the idea of pick-up only?
In 2017, the introduced the Pizza Portal, which allows customers to order online and
pick up their pizzas from an automated station without ever having to see an actual human
being.
Seems a little weird, but when it comes to fresh pizza, there are no rules.
“No calling?
No waiting?
There are no rules!"
"Put your shirt back on!"
"There's one rule!"
Since 1985, Little Caesars has given back to the community with their mobile Love Kitchen,
which is a pizza shop on wheels that they deploy to areas in need during national emergencies.
In 2014, they announced they were adding a second mobile kitchen to their fleet, which
had already handed out more than three million meals to families who were homeless or displaced.
That's just part of the legacy of the chain's late founder Mike Ilitch.
When he passed away in 2017, it was revealed that besides giving millions to local charities,
funding college scholarships, youth sports leagues, and giving free sponsorship to Detroit's
ailing industries, he had also secretly paid the rent for civil rights champion Rosa Parks
for 11 years, from 1994 until her death in 2005.
One of the most economically ravaged cities in America is Detroit, which has been in serious
decline for years.
But Little Caesars is doing everything it can to save the city, pouring an estimated
$1.2 billion into the construction of the Little Caesars Arena and the surrounding entertainment
district.
And so far it's paying off: known as The Pizzarena, Little Caesars Arena was named "Sports Facility
of the Year" at the Sports Business Awards.
Not everyone in Detroit is happy with Little Caesars, though, and in 2017 they were sued
over pizza that was labeled halal, meaning it was prepared according to Islamic law.
According to Dearborn's Mohamad Bazzi , the pizza was labeled halal but wasn't, and it
was only after he'd eaten some of the regular pepperoni that he realized he'd eaten pork.
He sued Little Caesars for $100 million in damages.
Little Caesars claimed that Bazzi changed his order from a halal pizza to a Hot-and-Ready
pizza that isn't labeled halal, and therefore the chain wasn't responsible if he ate in.
In the end, the judge sided with the pizza chain and dismissed the lawsuit.
Finally, from the land of internet rumors comes the claim that using the phrase "Pizza,
pizza!" while placing an order could sometimes get you a free order of Crazy Bread.
Long ago, this used to be the case, but according to one Redditor, the practice is still in
place in some locations.
So does your local Little Caesars honor the secret pizza pledge?
There's only one way to find out.
Just let us know if it works, because some Crazy Bread right about now sure sounds yummy.