Why Little Caesars® Pizza Franchisee Kepa Buruchaga Continues Brand Growth in Madrid

For the past six decades, Little Caesars® Pizza has steadily expanded its footprint from Detroit, Michigan to 27 countries and territories around the globe, becoming the third-largest pizza chain in the world. In recent years, the brand has focused on increasing its international presence, and now includes locations in Singapore, Mexico, Colombia, Turkey, Spain, Barbados and many more.

Today, the QSR pizza segment is booming as consumers look for affordable and convenient meal offerings, and business-savvy entrepreneurs are opening Little Caesars Pizza locations in markets around the world.

One such entrepreneur is Kepa Buruchaga, the international franchisee responsible for bringing Little Caesars Pizza restaurants to Madrid, the chain’s first locations in Spain. Buruchaga grew up in Venezuela but went to high school and college in Alabama. After graduating and returning to Venezuela, he began working in the retail industry, overseeing business development for several companies in Central America.

Buruchaga says he first discovered Little Caesars Pizza during his time in the United States. “I often ate at Little Caesars Pizza when I was in college because it was a delicious, affordable meal option,” he said. “Then, as I grew older and started in business development, I traveled all over Central America, including Guatemala, Panama and Honduras. During that time, I saw the Little Caesars Pizza brand growing quickly, and I started to wonder how I could get involved.”

Buruchaga did his due diligence, researching the Little Caesars Pizza brand and evaluating the potential for bringing it to Spain for the very first time. “The business model was really what drew me in at first — the value, service and quality was really different from anything I had seen in Spain,” he said. “Since I was able to witness how fast it was growing all over Central America, I also recognized the scalability of the opportunity and the possibility for territory exclusivity. Eventually, I talked to some investors, and we started working on a business plan that I presented to the Little Caesars Pizza team.”

After going through a comprehensive training program in Detroit, Buruchaga opened the first several Little Caesars Pizza stores in the Cuatro Caminos and Ciudad Lineal areas of Madrid in December 2019. Now, his plan is to open several more by the end of the year. 

For prospective international franchisees thinking about bringing Little Caesars Pizza to their market, Buruchaga says he can’t recommend the brand enough. 

“Even though Little Caesars Pizza is a huge, global company, they still operate like a family-run business,” he said. “Regardless of where you are in the world, you can communicate with the leadership team and be confident that you aren’t just a number — you have a personal relationship with them. The team is willing to have ongoing conversations and provide support that is specific to your region, whether it be special menus, market research or vendor assistance. That is very valuable — we are a family-owned business ourselves, so that support means a lot to us.”

Now, qualified multi-unit prospects like Buruchaga have a prime opportunity to join a thriving and supportive brand. Little Caesars Pizza has identified Bolivia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, other areas in Spain and the Philippines as international markets ripe for expansion. 

“Thanks to our value-driven business model and family-oriented brand, Little Caesars Pizza is an attractive choice for entrepreneurs who want to bring an established pizza chain to their country,” said Marc Da Silva, vice president of international development. “We have entered many new markets over recent years, and we are excited to continue that trend for many years to come.”

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