Did a Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready pizza really manage to close down a franchise in Kansas?
And is it really healthier than Dominos or Pizza Hut's pizza?
Get your taste buds ready and stay tuned to find out.
Hot-N-Ready is a pie or other menu item you can order and have within minutes. A Little Caesars
Hot-N-Ready Pizza sits in a warmer oven after it's baked fresh, so it's always ready to go.
The website states that all the pizzas are baked at 475 degrees and never handled after baking
for ultimate safety. The Hot-N-Ready menu also boasts breadsticks and chicken wings as well.
So how does the company manage to prepare the right amount of pizza
to be sold for the Hot-N-Ready deal? Well, that's still up for debate.
Both past and present Little Caesars employees suggest the use of projection charts and the
experience of "rushes" to ensure that the correct amount of pizzas are made every time.
While this fast and cheap food might seem too good to be true, for some items, there actually is a
small catch. Certain foods on the Hot-N-Ready menu are only available from 4 to 8 pm.
So, if you're in the mood to satisfy a cheezy craving, it's best you wait
until dinner to head to your local Little Caesars, this way you'll have more options.
"I'm kinda hungry. Whanna get some pizza?"
"We don't have time to wait for pizza."
"Little Caesar's has Hot-N-Ready pizza, so you don't have to wait."
"OOOOOH! She told you!"
You might assume that the Hot-N-Ready pizza sacrifices cost for convenience. Fortunately for
you and your wallet, you won't need to worry about paying a high price for your Hot-N-Ready food.
According to the website, Little Caesars sells Hot-N-Ready 14” large pepperoni pizzas for $8.
Now you may be thinking…
"I remember those commercials where they said the Hot-N-Ready pizza was only $5. What happened?"
While the Hot-N-Ready deal was $5 for over 20 years, the company has raised the price.
While it's unclear if this is due to the supply chain crisis or another reason, Little Caesars
addressed this issue with their patrons via a sign on the door of certain locations.
The sign states that, while they know this may come as a surprise,
they hope guests will agree that the Hot-N-Ready is still a great value.
While a pizza that's both hot and ready for under $10 is a pretty fair deal, what really matters is
how it tastes. You could have found a delicious pizza for a steal, or just paid for some greasy,
lukewarm cardboard. So, just how good is the Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready food?
Brand Eating noted in its review that the Hot-N-Ready pizza's main selling point
was its value and, while it is admittedly bland, it's still a pretty decent pizza.
TheReportOfTheWeek's John Jurasek described the Hot-N-Ready Pepperoni Pizza as not too
thick or thin, and stated it resembled a, quote, "standard, hand-tossed pizza."
He went on to share that he was impressed by the taste of the pizza despite its low cost,
and gave the Hot-N-Ready an "8.7 out of 10" rating.
The Rochester NY Pizza Blog wasn't as impressed as
Jurasek or Brand Eating. The outlet described the bottom of the pizza as having a dry,
"pancake-like appearance" and shared that it didn't seem to rise much while baking.
They noted the sauce tasted like canned spaghetti sauce, but that the cheese was stretchy and not
an oily mess. In the end, the pizza blog's review states that a Hot-N-Ready pizza is fine if you're
hungry and broke. But if not? They suggest you seek better pizza if you have the means.
A hot pepperoni pizza, with all of that oil and grease from the cheese, sauce, and meat,
usually isn't the first meal that comes to mind when someone mentions healthy food.
But that doesn't mean you should skip a slice if you're craving one. But,
if you're keeping a watchful eye on your health,
is Little Caesars the healthiest choice compared to the other big-name pizza chains?
According to Fast Food Nutrition, one slice of Little Caesars 14-inch
Hot-N-Ready Pepperoni Pizza is 276 calories with 11 grams of fat,
583 milligrams of sodium, and 26 milligrams of cholesterol.
A slice of the same pizza from Pizza Hut is 299 calories with 13 grams of fat,
726 milligrams of sodium, and 27 milligrams of cholesterol.
A Domino's pepperoni slice is 280 calories with 11 grams of fat,
500 milligrams of sodium, and 30 milligrams of cholesterol.
Little Caesars and Domino's are close in fat and cholesterol,
but when it comes to Pizza Hut? They dominate in those and the overall sodium levels.
So, if you're ready to enjoy a slice of pizza and want it fast,
maybe it's best to give Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready a shot.
How could a cheap deal for Little Caesars pizza lead to a court battle?
"Hey! Little Caesars has Hot-N-Ready pizza for five bucks. Let's go."
According to the Missouri Business Alert, in 2018,
21 Little Caesars locations in the Kansas City area were forced to close
following franchisee Alan Knox's shady attempts at remedying the failing locations.
The decline in profits, Knox asserted, was due to the $5 Hot-N-Ready deal being too low
for the Kansas City area. Without approval from Little Caesars, Knox raised the price of the deal
to $5.99 but pressure from the company forced him to change it back to the original $5 price.
Unable to cover his payments to the company, or sustain his overhead,
Knox tried to sue Little Caesars where he eventually lost his case — and his franchises.
According to PMQ Pizza Magazine, Knox wasn't the only one to have trouble with the $5 deal,
as other franchise owners struggled to make ends meet.
Todd Messer, the executive director of the Independent Organization of Little
Caesars Franchisees called it, an, quote, "unprofitable business model."
The good news for Kansas City pizza lovers is that, since 2019,
Little Caesars has been making a slow return under new ownership,
per Kansas City NPR. Even better news for Kansas City — the Hot-N-Ready deal is back, too.
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