How Little Caesars® Pizza is Excelling in the $145 Billion Global Pizza Industry

In a global pizza industry worth a whopping $145 billion,Little Caesars® Pizza has kept pace as one of the leaders. Now the third-largest pizza chain in the world with stores in 27 countries and territories across the globe, Little Caesars has increased its international presence in the past few years by entering new markets in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America.

“Little Caesars Pizza’s large-scale growth over the last six decades can be directly attributed to our unwavering focus on our core pillars of success: value, convenience and quality,” said Brett Larrabee, director of international development with Little Caesars. “Now, Little Caesars Pizza is planning to bring this model to hundreds of new international stores this year. By continuing to provide great tasting and convenient pizza at an affordable value, Little Caesars is poised to continue its growth on an international scale.”

Since being founded 61 years ago, Little Caesars Pizza’s main goal has been to deliver great-tasting pizza. When it comes to quality, Little Caesars Pizza stands out from the crowd by using 100% real cheese. “We make our dough fresh in our stores every day,” said Larrabee. “We also only use fresh, packed, vine-ripe tomatoes while others may use a reconstituted formula of less-than-natural ingredients.”

Menu innovation strategy

Little Caesars Pizza also allows for menu innovation to appeal to the palette of their local consumer. While the brand keeps the core ingredients and flavor profile the same, it may bring in specialty pizzas, such as the BBQ sauce pizza in Spain, or add different toppings, like the chorizo and ham blend in Mexico. In addition, Little Caesars Pizza may offer different sizes, meal schedules or limited-time offers to ensure that the flavor profile is tailored to the region.

“Our international franchisees are able to combine our proven, delicious core ingredients with an innovative, localized flair in order to target new customers,” said Paulette Marteney, senior director of R&D. “When U.S.

brands come into another country, customers want that flavor — if they want their comfort food, they’ll cook it themselves. So, we offer a unique twist. While innovation is important to succeed in international markets, it is also important to create a balance to ensure that, no matter where the customer is, they know they are eating Little Caesars® Pizza.

The combination of our beloved core offering and our commitment to innovation and communication is what will bring customers to us over other Western brands.”

Value and convenience

In addition to serving the best-quality pizza, Paula Vissing, senior vice president international for Little Caesars notes that value is just as important. “When we introduced the $5 HOT-N-READY pizza in the U.S., we wanted to be in a position to affordably feed a family,” she said. “While the commitment to delivering value within the pizza category has made Little Caesars Pizza stand out, the value factor is more important now than ever in an environment where economic times are hard.”

In fact, based on a nationwide survey of QSR consumers in the U.S. conducted by Sandelman & Associates, Little Caesars Pizza has been the “Highest Rated Chain Value For the Money” for 13 years in a row.

When it comes to the pillar of convenience, Little Caesars Pizza’s approach is centered around the future of technology and the deliverability of the product. For example, the unique HOT-N-READY model gives customers an easy and convenient way to get their food during the pandemic, allowing them to be in and out of the store with a fresh pizza in 30 seconds or less.

Technology and growth

Little Caesars Pizza has been positioning itself as an innovator of technology as it rolls out new services around the world, including Caesars Vision App, Pizza Portal™ pickup and more. “We’ve prioritized technology in order to really create a seamless experience, but who would have known we’d find ourselves in a world in which consumers are primarily ordering online and looking for contactless experiences,” said Larrabee. Pizza Portal™ pickup is a heated compartment in the lobby where customers pick up their food after scanning a QR code on their phones.

The innovative technology allows customers in the U.S. and Canada to avoid any direct contact with employees and offers a true contactless pick-up experience.

The technology will be rolled out to other international markets in the future to give customers around the world this convenience.”

As the COVID-19 outbreak heightened, Little Caesars also put several cleanliness and sanitation procedures in place and has continued to enhance and increase efforts to provide a safe and clean environment for all guests, employees and franchise owners.

“The greatest thing about the pizza industry is that the demand is evergreen and universal — there are no markets where customers don’t eat pizza,” said Vissing. “With Little Caesars Pizza, our number-one goal is to bring our quality, value and convenience to new parts of the world in order to satisfy that international demand for great-tasting pizza at an affordable price.”