Little Caesars plans growth in seven states

Little Caesars is planning to grow its already large footprint.

The Detroit-based pizza chain, which is the third-largest in the world, will open more than 30 new restaurants throughout San Diego, Memphis, Tampa, Raleigh, Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Antonio and Eugene, Ore. through new franchise agreements.

Little Caesars’ expansion is partially led by experienced franchisees. The chain’s effort to expand across Southern California is led by Leo Gonzalez, an experienced franchise owner operating multiple Little Caesars restaurants in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Gonzalez committed to open nine Little Caesars in San Diego over the next four years.

Jocelyn Monperousse and Lissette Isabel, co-owners of RJBL Pizza, will open the first traditional Little Caesars restaurant in Bradenton, Fla. Their five-unit franchise agreement will support the chain’s development plans in the Tampa market going into 2027.

"The growth and momentum we've built in the first three months of 2024 underscores the strength and viability of Little Caesars,”  said Patrick Cunningham, VP of U.S. development at Little Caesars. “With a business model that's built for our franchise owners, we've successfully garnered the attention of many experienced multi-unit operators. Our development pipeline is strong and as we look ahead into the year, we remain committed to building on this momentum, seeking opportunities to expand our presence while meeting the evolving demands of our guests through technology and innovation."

In addition to the recent franchise signings, Little Caesars says it plans to grow its footprint across the U.S. with its newest restaurant prototype – Little Caesars PODs. Featuring a design that's built offsite, PODs have a quicker construction timeline than most traditional restaurants.

Little Caesars isn't the only pizza chain expanding its footprint. Marco’s Pizza and Papa Johns have both continued to increase their number of stores, while Canadian chain Freshslice Pizza will soon enter the United States.

Known for its Hot-N-Ready pizza, Little Caesars operates restaurants in each of the 50 U.S. states and 28 countries and territories.