The basics:
Little Caesars has 22 New Jersey locations
Chain says Garden State has significant room for growth
Franchisees can pursue traditional and nontraditional locations
Initial franchise investment ranges from $376,500 to $1.77M
Little Caesars wants a bigger slice of the New Jersey pizza market. As part of a broader push to expand across the New York City metropolitan area, the Detroit-based chain is seeking to boost its Garden State presence by recruiting franchisees to open new restaurants.
Founded in 1959 by husband-wife duo Mike and Marian Ilitch, Little Caesars built its identity as a value-driven, walk-in, carryout pizza joint. Best known for its famous “Pizza! Pizza!” slogan introduced decades ago, the chain has evolved from a single family-owned spot into one of the largest pizza concepts in the U.S.
Since beginning franchising in 1962, Little Caesars has grown to more than 5,500 global locations. It currently ranks behind Domino’s (22,100) and Pizza Hut (19,000) in terms of worldwide store count.
NJ ‘is wide open’
Now considered one of the fastest-growing pizza franchises in the U.S., Little Caesars began targeting the Northeast three years ago. Along with New Jersey, the chain is looking to grow across New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley via multi-unit development deals with experienced operators and entrepreneurs. At the moment, Little Caesars has 22 sites in New Jersey – mainly in urban hubs like Camden, Elizabeth, Newark, Orange, Passaic, Paterson, Trenton and Union City.
It once had a bigger footprint in the state via in-store partnerships with Kmart. But as the national retailer struggled, closed stores and eventually filed its first bankruptcy in 2002, those locations in New Jersey and across the U.S. disappeared.
For Little Caesars, New Jersey is particularly attractive for a few reasons, according to Alan Wayne, the company’s national director of franchising. “Our market and our sweet spot are families that are looking for affordable, high-quality pizza that’s served fast. And New Jersey’s perfect for that. We’ve got dense neighborhoods, we’ve got communities that want that speed, value and convenience. So, we fit right into what folks in New Jersey want. But we just don’t have enough restaurants at this point in time, and that’s part of my job and my team’s job is to change that,” he said.
As a Bergen County resident, Wayne is especially keen on seeing the brand take root in his home state.
Wayne
A longtime Dunkin’ executive with over 20 years of experience in franchising, development, operations and marketing, Wayne joined Little Caesars in 2022 as director of international development. He is now focused on domestic growth as national director of franchising.
“The state is wide open,” he said. “If anyone has an area they’re looking at that they’re interested in, we’re going to go quickly investigate it with you and see if it makes sense … So, with the exception of the existing stores we have because we don’t want to encroach upon their business, it’s really a great opportunity to investigate anywhere in New Jersey.”
“If I were younger, I’d probably consider doing it myself … But for someone out there who’s looking for an opportunity, there’s plenty of space all over northern New Jersey. And we have a good real estate team that will help you, guide you toward what the right sites look like from a demographic standpoint or site trade area standpoint, a marketing team, architecture, operations.”
A family-friendly price point
Wayne went on to say the company’s renewed focus on New Jersey is less about competing directly with the state’s famous independent pizzerias and more about filling a different niche.
“We’ve had restaurants here before, but I think the key is growing with the right people and finding the right locations. When I talk to candidates, they’re like, ‘Oh, it must have something to do with the fact that New York and New Jersey are big pizza markets.’ And, I don’t agree with that,” Wayne said.
Little Caesars was founded by Mike and Marian Ilitch as a single, family-owned restaurant in 1959 and is headquartered in downtown Detroit, Mich. As of September 2026, it is the third-largest pizza chain in the world. – PROVIDED BY LITTLE CAESARS
“Because when I buy a pizza for my family, which I do once every couple of weeks, and we’ll go to a specialty pizza place, a mom-and-pop restaurant and we’ll pay $25 or more for a pizza. And we’re not in that game with Little Caesar’s. Our pizza will – depending upon the market and if you’re in New Jersey – cost $8.99 for a pizza for the family. So, I don’t think you’re competing with that,” he said.
“My daughter is 16 years old, and if she has her friends over, I’m not going to buy four pizzas for $25 each. I’m going to buy four for $9 a piece,” he said. “And then everybody’s always excited because they’re like, ‘Oh, you got Little Caesars. I saw the commercials, but there’s not that many restaurants near me.’ So, there’s a lot of opportunity.”
Fitting demand
Little Caesars hasn’t established a specific local restaurant count it hopes to achieve just yet, according to Wayne. “We’re so far away from that because there is so much opportunity that we don’t really have a defined number as to what we want to hit,” he said.
Although Little Caesars says its traditional restaurant model of freestanding sites, endcap drive-thrus and inline locations remains an important part of the overall growth strategy, the chain is embracing formats that can fit into different types of real estate, such as shopping centers, gas stations, convenience stores, airports, stadiums, military bases, college campuses, casinos, amusement parks and other high-traffic hubs.
Besides giving franchisees more flexibility, the smaller-sized outposts can reduce the expense of opening a location at a time when rising construction and labor costs continue to impact the restaurant industry. “We’re flexible. The bigger thing is that we’re choosing the concept that fits the demand and the need in an area,” Wayne said.
The interior of a Little Caesars shop. – PROVIDED BY LITTLE CAESARS
“If we’re trying to go into a market like New Jersey, where there is a lot of space to open a restaurant, you want to make sure, if you can, to start out with the best representation of your menu and your store – which would be your traditional unit. But we’re flexible.”
“If the business model makes sense or if there’s a non-traditional opportunity, like going into a gas station, we can adapt to a smaller concept that might fit,” he said. “The bigger thing is that we’re choosing the concept that fits the demand and the need in an area because we don’t want to underserve it by having a smaller unit with a limited menu.”
Putting technology to work
Technology is another part of Little Caesars’ effort to make its restaurants faster and easier to operate. One of its biggest innovations was the 2018 launch of a heated self-service pickup station known as the Pizza Portal. There, customers can retrieve mobile orders without waiting in line.
Wayne said, “It was just a happy accident where we developed this contactless piece of equipment before COVID-19. … So the business actually continued and thrived during that time, at least more so than other businesses.”
One of Little Caesars’ biggest innovations was the 2018 launch of a heated self-service pickup station known as the Pizza Portal. There, customers can retrieve mobile orders without waiting in line. – PROVIDED BY LITTLE CAESARS
Little Caesars entered the delivery game for the first time six years ago through a nationwide partnership with DoorDash. More recently, the chain has begun exploring autonomous deliveries to customers using sidewalk robots and drones.
Despite the popularity of digital ordering, Wayne said, “We’re not isolating ourselves to just that one little piece because I think people want flexibility in how they order.”
“On thing we have that I think is innovative really just goes back to being old school. And that’s our Hot-N-Ready model. That means we have a certain amount of items that are ready to go when you enter the restaurant,” he said.
“We’re accommodating that person that doesn’t want to order digitally immediately, because where can you order a pizza and theoretically get it handed to you in 30 seconds after ordering it?” Wayne said. “This brand was built upon Hot-N-Ready. I think the key is being flexible to the needs of the guest and how they want to order.”
Little Caesars’ Hot-N-Ready model “means we have a certain amount of items that are ready to go when you enter the restaurant,” said Alan Wayne, the company’s national director of franchising. – PROVIDED BY LITTLE CAESARS
That’s crazy
While Little Caesars has kept its core menu of pizza and “Crazy Bread” breadsticks made from quality ingredients, never frozen cheese and fresh sauce largely intact, it has stepped up experimenting with new formats, flavors and limited-time offerings. That’s included testing specialty crusts, like pretzel and newer stuffed varieties.
Alan Wayne, Little Caesars’ national director of franchising, said the rollout of Crazy Puffs – aka “portable pockets of pizza joy” – has helped introduce the brand to customers who may not be looking to purchase an entire pizza – particularly in the middle of the day. – PROVIDED BY LITTLE CAESARS
One of the most buzzworthy additions was Crazy Puffs in 2024. Billed as “portable pockets of pizza joy,” the muffin-shaped mini pizzas come in a four-pack that sells for $3.99.
Wayne said the rollout of Crazy Puffs has helped introduce Little Caesars to customers who may not be looking to purchase an entire pizza — particularly in the middle of the day.
“A lot of people decided that they’re going to have that as a snack in the middle of the day. So, what it did was it took a brand that primarily is dinner driven and for the whole family and opened up the door a little bit to the single customer who might want to just get Crazy Puffs as a snack in the middle of the day,” Wayne said.
“It was a fantastic addition, and it showed with the results at the restaurants … And so that was probably one of the biggest product innovations,” Wayne said.
With the brand
Besides its recent return for a fifth year as the Official Pizza Sponsor of the NFL, Little Caesars has landed several other high-profile partnerships to help generate excitement around the brand.
That’s included creating limited-time menu items and collectible packaging tied to major films like The Batman (2022), Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) and Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
Given the blockbuster status of those three films, Wayne said, “When you get lucky with movies like that, it just raises awareness for the brand.”
Wayne went on to say one of the aspects of the NFL sponsorship that he loves is that it helps highlight the Pizza Portal technology. The tie-up with the league has also enabled Little Caesars to add branded locations at stadiums in Philadelphia, Detroit, Kansas City, Tampa, Pittsburgh, Houston, New Orleans and Miami.
“In the Northeast, people don’t really know that we have the Pizza Portal, so this makes it easier. A lot of the ads that we had during the game started showing the Portal, so people could see it on a commercial and understand the benefits. So, that was nice – especially when you’re trying to sell a brand and the advertising shows what you’re trying to sell,” Wayne said.
A winning recipe
More than six decades after its founding, Wayne said the brand’s recognition could give new franchisees an advantage as they enter markets where Little Caesars has relatively few restaurants.
“When a store opens up and people are familiar with the brand, they immediately want to get out and try it,” he said. “Now, that doesn’t tell you they’re going to come back again and again, and that’s up to you as an operator to give them the finest product quality that you can give them and guest experience so that they come back. But the great thing is when you’re a mature brand that’s been around for over 65 years, they know the brand and when one comes to your neighborhood and it’s like, ‘Oh man, it’s finally here’ and then you’ll go out and try it.”
“We had a grand opening event a few months ago in Queens and did this promotion where the first hundred people in line can win pizza for a year. And there was an enormous line of people outside the restaurant lining up about a few hours before we’re opened,” he said.
“And it amazes me because that’s the power of the brand. And that people are that passionate about it where they’re camping out for it,” he said. “So, it helps to be a brand that’s known, that people know what it is and has been around for many years. The key is you have to have the right experience and the right product quality to ensure that people come back.”
A piece of the pie
That’s where good training and continuing help comes in, according to Wayne.
During the development process, the company pitches in with site selection, design and opening. Additionally, franchisees receive year-round support from Little Caesars, including assistance with areas like operations, business planning, real estate, construction, marketing and accounting.
Wayne said, “With a franchise model … it’s up to the company to make sure that each operator is adhering to the standards that the company has set forth. So, it should be the same experience every time you go into the same restaurant. And that’s why it has to be simple. Our three pillars are quality, value and convenience. Those are the three things that lead to success and we reinforce.”
Our three pillars are quality, value and convenience. Those are the three things that lead to success and we reinforce.
– Alan Wayne, national director of franchising, Little Caesars
Regardless of whether a franchisee is new to the foodservice industry or is a seasoned multibrand operator looking to diversify their portfolio, Wayne said Little Caesars ultimately wants individuals who are growth-minded and willing to be actively involved.
“What’s more important is that it’s someone who’s passionate about what they do, and they’re going to be invested in the business, be present and get involved in their communities,” he said. “That’s the right person.”
‘A simple concept’
“We’re primarily a takeout business and delivery business,” he said. “It’s really a simple concept … and we’ll help you in every step of the way and train you,” he said, adding, “It’s not complex like a full sit-down restaurant would be. And, we’ve had people come in who had minimal restaurant experience.”
PROVIDED BY MPC FOODS
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“We’re a family-owned company and we’ve been so for a long period of time, so we have a really great culture. We’re growing and we have a tremendous opportunity in New Jersey for people who are passionate about pizza and want to operate their own business,” Wayne said. “And we give you the support you need to operate a very operationally simplistic business. I’m not saying it’s easy, because no business is easy, but I would say it’s easier than some of the other concepts that you could investigate for a franchise.”
Opening a Little Caesars franchise requires an estimated total initial investment of $376,500 to $1,769,200, which varies significantly depending on the store format, location and real estate needs, according to the company.
The timeline for opening depends on format and location, Wayne said. A non-traditional unit, such as one inside an existing gas station space, could potentially move from entering the system to construction in four to six months. Meanwhile, a traditional restaurant could take a year or longer due to permitting, real estate availability and local approvals, he explained.
It could sometimes take upwards of two to three years for a franchisee to nail down a location, according to Wayne.
“Sometimes that might be a good move too, because the two reasons why a restaurant fails are usually because one, it’s not the right location. And number two, it’s not the right operator,” he said. “So hopefully you get past the operator part when you’re in the beginning by qualifying the right person who’s passionate about the brand. You never know 100% but you try to get through and find the right fit.”
“After you get the right person, finding the right location is the other part of the equation. So, I get why brands might want to take time to make sure they get it right,” Wayne said.
Learning about the business
In addition to holding informational sessions around the U.S. for potential franchisees, the chain offers virtual seminars for individuals who want more information.
Wayne said, “We’ll even do one-one-one meetings if somebody calls up and wants to do a conference call. It’s just about providing enough touch points for somebody who’s interested in getting into the business where they can feel comfortable and learn more about it.”
“It’s really about opening yourself up to anytime somebody’s interested in talking about Little Caesars and making yourself available, whether it’s a phone call or virtual meeting or in person at the recruitment events or trade shows,” he said, adding, “We have a lot of avenues for people to learn more about our business.”
The Ilitch empire
Little Caesars parent company Ilitch Cos. recently took full control of Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. – PROVIDED BY ILITCH COS.
Little Caesars isn’t the only business interest that the Ilitch family has in New Jersey. Ilitch Cos. recently took full control of Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. After paying $175 million in 2012 for a 50% stake in the property, the family-run company acquired the remaining half last month for an undisclosed sum.
Their business empire also includes the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and MotorCity Casino Hotel. After Mike and Marian Ilitch died in 2017 and 2026, respectively, the couple’s children run the company.
Ilitch Cos. CEO Chris Ilitch recently shared, “Our success in Detroit over nearly three decades is the inspiration for what comes next.”
He also said that while the expansion of their gaming and hospitality business “marks a defining new chapter,” they “remain committed to creating memorable experiences for guests, supporting responsible gaming, and serving as a positive economic force in the communities where we operate.”
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