WEST BURLINGTON — Little Caesars is coming to West Burlington.
Niemann Foods Inc., a Quincy, Illinois-based, employee-owned company, will open the fast food pizza place at 411 W. Agency Road, Suite 3, in the former Cricket Wireless location.
An alteration permit was issued last week through the City of West Burlington.
Dave Riney, vice president of retail operations for Niemann Foods, said the company is targeting March 1, 2027, for the opening, although the schedule has not been finalized.
“We are very excited coming to West Burlington,” Riney said. “We are very excited for the development in West Burlington as well.”
The company recently received its construction permits, and preliminary demolition work is underway. Riney said the project is expected to take about 90 days to complete.
This Little Caesars is expected to employ about 25 people during its initial opening period, with staffing levels potentially adjusting as operations become established.
Niemann Foods currently operates 15 Little Caesars locations, including restaurants in Keokuk and Macomb, Illinois, as well as Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. Most of its other locations are in Wisconsin.
The Burlington restaurant will mark the company’s return to the local market under different ownership. Niemann Foods previously purchased several Little Caesars locations from the former franchisee that operated the Burlington restaurant.
Riney said Burlington had been on his list of potential expansion markets as the company looked to grow its Little Caesars operations in southeast Iowa and the surrounding region.
With existing locations in Keokuk and Macomb, he said, Burlington makes sense as part of a growing regional market.
“There’s not much in that southeast Iowa quadrant,” Riney said. “So West Burlington made all the sense in the world to me.”
The new restaurant will offer carryout and delivery but will not have a drive-thru or indoor dining, Riney said.
Customers will be able to order through the Little Caesars app, with delivery provided through DoorDash. The restaurant’s offerings also will be available through delivery platforms such as DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Little Caesars is known for its Hot-N-Ready pizza concept, which allows customers to walk in and pick up prepared pizzas without placing an order in advance.
Riney said the company also takes pride in preparing its dough fresh in each restaurant every day rather than using frozen dough. Cheese is not frozen, and Crazy Bread also is made fresh in-house.
Niemann Foods has been in business for 110 years and operates about 150 locations throughout the Midwest. Its businesses include about 50 Ace Hardware stores, approximately 50 grocery stores, 20 convenience stores and its Little Caesars restaurants.
Riney, who started working for Niemann Foods in Keokuk about 30 years ago, said the company has expanded considerably beyond its original supermarket operations.
The West Burlington project represents another opportunity to expand the company’s presence in the region.
“We’re very excited for the Little Caesars brand itself as we continue to try to grow this in our markets,” he said.
Dining and Cooking