How Little Caesars® Pizza Works with International Franchisees to Build Menus Targeted to Local Customers

With restaurants in 27 countries and territories across the globe, Little Caesars® Pizza has grown to become the third-largest chain in the $145 billion global pizza industry. Little Caesars Pizza’s large-scale expansion over the last six decades can be attributed to its unwavering focus on value, quality and convenience, as well as an industry-leading commitment to providing great-tasting pizza at an affordable value.

As 2020 shapes up to be a year of expansive international development for the brand, Little Caesars Pizza continues to stand out as an attractive opportunity with a straightforward business model focused on profitability, a strong culture of support, state-of-the-art technology and a growth-forward mindset. In addition to giving franchisees the opportunity to bring Western flavors to their community, Little Caesars Pizza allows for menu innovation to appeal to the palette of their local consumer. 

“Our international franchisees are able to combine our proven, delicious core ingredients with an innovative, localized flair in order to target new customers,” said Paulette Marteney, Senior Director of R&D. “When U.S. brands come into another country, customers want that flavor — if they want their comfort food, they’ll cook it themselves. So, we offer a unique twist.”

To create these regional menus, the Little Caesars international team has in-depth conversations with local franchisees to discuss ideas and strategies for adjusting the options. The development team will visit local grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and street vendors to get a better understanding of how to build that menu. The development team and franchisees collaborate throughout the menu development process to ensure that the owner is well-positioned to succeed in their market and is able to focus on opening and running great stores. 

“In addition to popular food options, we also look at the culture and habits of each new country we enter,” said Marteney. “Whether it be when people eat, how they cook, how they share, how they portion — we look at it all. People eat at different times of the day — in some markets, lunch is at one o'clock and dinner is at nine. In other markets, religion and dietary laws create certain ingredient restrictions. We have to take it all into consideration.”

Take Little Caesars in India, for example. Knowing about the heat levels of the spices in those markets, Little Caesars Pizza enlisted the help of India-based franchisees to bring in some of those local flavors and spices. In Ahmedabad, Little Caesars Pizza introduced an all-vegetarian menu featuring a signature 10” HOT-N-READY® Veggie Pizza, plus other delicious offerings. The restaurant will feature a range of other vegetarian pizzas and side items to delight the taste buds of Gujarati pizza lovers, including a Tandoori Paneer, Spicy Veggie and Zesty Cheese Bread. Additionally, a 10” Tikka Masala pizza will be available HOT-N-READY. All pizzas feature a delicious 10-season flavored crust, edge-to-edge. 

“While we keep our core ingredients and flavor profile the same, we may bring in specialty pizzas, such as the BBQ sauce pizza in Spain, or add different toppings, like chorizo in Mexico and paneer in India,” said Marteney. “In addition, we may offer different proportions, meal schedules or limited-time offers. Still, one blend of ingredients or toppings may work in England, but it doesn’t work in Russia. Once we have certain items and flavor profiles created, we will run focus groups to make sure the local consumer is on board, and then develop ways to market it.” 

When it comes to marketing, Marteney points out, every country is a little different. The team is diligent about listening to the feedback and demands of the customer to better understand when and how to market new menu items. For example, in some cultures, parmesan cheese is completely foreign and therefore doesn’t add any value to their classic Crazy Bread offering. But if the marketing focuses on the garlic butter, it becomes appealing. In other markets, customers are accustomed to light sauce and ketchup on pizza. In those markets, it is about educating the consumer before they enter the restaurant so they understand that Little Caesars® Pizza adds more sauce so they don’t need to add ketchup. That’s why the development teams really engage and collaborate with marketing. 

“While innovation is important to succeed in international markets, it is also important to create a balance to ensure that, no matter where the customer is, they know they are eating Little Caesars® Pizza,” said Marteney. “The combination of our beloved core offering and our commitment to innovation and communication is what will bring customers to us over other Western brands.”

Overall, Marteney notes that the most important thing is listening. “Whether it be the franchisee or the consumer, we listen to every piece of feedback to make those menus more successful,” she said. “Once we are in a new market, we will continue to adjust the menu based on the response. There are some chains that don’t do this, but we truly do care about what customers have to say and how they interact with the food and their opinions. Our brand was founded with a passion for high-quality menu options and that has been instilled in everyone, including franchisees all over the world.”

Now, Little Caesars® Pizza is looking for qualified entrepreneurs to help bring the legacy pizza brand to new international markets and share the three brand pillars of value, quality and convenience with their local communities.

For more information about franchising internationally with Little Caesars® Pizza, please visit https://international.littlecaesars.com/.