Little Caesars

Little Caesars was founded by Michael Ilitch and Marian Ilitch on May 8, 1959. The first location was a strip mall in Garden City, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Mike wanted to call it simply “Pizza Treat,” but Marian wanted a name that suited Mike. Marian considered Mike her “little Caesar”. Mike ultimately relented, and the store opened as “Little Caesars Pizza Treat.” The original store is still open today.

The company is famous for its advertising catchphrase, “Pizza! Pizza!” which was introduced in 1979. The phrase refers to two pizzas being offered for the comparable price of a single pizza from competitors. Originally the pizzas were served in a single long package. In addition to pizza, they served chicken, shrimp, and fish. Little Caesars has discarded the unwieldy packaging in favor of typical pizza boxes. Currently, the chain is best known for its “Hot-N-Ready” pizzas, large pizzas with popular toppings available for immediate takeout at a low price ($5.00 in most U.S. stores).