Many after-school jobs are simply a way for teenagers to earn some spending money, but Vicki Dunn-Marshall turned hers into a lifelong career. She owns 24 Little Caesars locations in three states after starting with the company at just 15 years old.
The opportunities to invest and grow have kept her in the company for decades. Little Caesars is not only a favorable brand to work with, Dunn-Marshall said, but the chain offers “a great value for the money,” on both the customer and franchisee side. Dunn-Marshall recently agreed to open 10 new units in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“We are great quality,” Dunn-Marshall said. “That’s something that Little Caesars doesn’t scream loud enough. Our ingredients are top-notch quality.”
Little Caesars, which often touts its cheap deals and position as a value leader, is the fourth largest pizza chain, with 4,181 locations. It’s behind Dominos (18,848), Pizza Hut (18,518) and Papa John’s (5,650), but is beginning to accelerate growth with several new multi-unit signings and a five-year deal with the NFL to be its official pizza sponsor, replacing Pizza Hut.
Craig Sherwood is Little Caesars’ vice president of franchise development.
“If they try us, they’ll get it,” Vice President of Franchise Development Craig Sherwood said. “I think people will be very, very surprised, if they haven’t tasted our product, to really try it and put it up against any other pizza. We feel really strongly that they’ll become returning customers, and we’re seeing that.”
Little Caesars is growing in existing and new markets. In addition to Dunn-Marshall’s expansion, the brand’s recent deals include a 19-unit agreement with large KFC and Sonic operator CMG Companies and a 10-unit deal for Tampa, Florida, with Starbeds Legacy QSR, which operates Dunkin’, Popeyes and Checkers units throughout the state.
“It just makes sense,” said Dunn-Marshall, whose existing restaurants are in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. The Charlotte region is “a rapidly growing area.”
Since becoming a franchisee, she’s helped five of her employees do the same, either selling them a store or sponsoring them. (Little Caesars requires recommendations from existing franchisees when someone new applies.)
The brand may gravitate toward existing operators like CMG, but Little Caesars still brings on smaller entrepreneurs, too. The company has incentive programs for first responders and military veterans that include a franchisee fee discount, advertising support, other discounts and financing assistance.
“They’ve been very successful franchisees for us, so we continue to recruit and attract those kinds of small entrepreneurs as well,” Sherwood said.
Experienced franchisee Greg Nigro, president of Restaurant Services of the Outer Banks, has one Little Caesars unit open, with a deal to open seven more down the road in Outer Banks, North Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia. He owns 45 Dunkin’ units in the area.
Little Caesars is known for its “Hot ‘n’ Ready” pizzas and Pizza Portals, in which customers can order online and pick up their pizzas using a unique code.
Nigro wanted to expand the company’s portfolio, and Little Caesars “jumped out at us as that brand and that opportunity,” he said. He attributed Little Caesars’ appeal to its quality ingredients, its Pizza Portal technology and the price point for both customers and franchisees.
The signing and opening process at Little Caesars is on par with Nigro’s previous endeavors.
“They’ve been very helpful and very supportive,” Nigro said. “When you can have a good relationship, that’s an important factor. The sky’s the limit when the franchisee and franchisor are working together to get somewhere. That’s really what makes it special.”
He’s excited about the brand’s recent and upcoming growth.
“I, for one, joined up with Little Caesars for a reason,” Nigro said. “I am looking at big things for the brand in the not-too-distant future.”
The initial investment to open a Little Caesars franchise ranges from $378,700 to $1.7 million; its franchise fee is $20,000.
The brand is known for its “Hot N Ready” pizza, previously $5 a pie. This year the brand raised its prices to $5.55 across the board, and the prices may fluctuate in different markets. That increase came with a bonus for customers: A 33 percent increase in pepperoni slices per pizza, Sherwood said.
“We create fans,” Sherwood said. “It’s really about getting them into our door and getting them into a pizza.”