Little Caesars Pizza

Little Caesars Pizza, located at 109 N Brookhurst St in Anaheim, California, represents one of America’s most iconic pizza chains with a rich history spanning over six decades. This carry-out establishment specializes in delivering quality pizza, signature breadsticks, and chicken wings to customers throughout the Anaheim area and beyond. With a phone number of +1 714-780-1737, the restaurant welcomes guests seeking affordable, quick pizza solutions prepared with housemade dough and fresh ingredients.

The story of Little Caesars begins on May 8, 1959, when Mike and Marian Ilitch opened the first location in Garden City, Michigan, taking a significant financial risk by investing their family savings into the venture.[1][2] What started as a single family-owned restaurant with a modest menu that included not only pizza but also hot dogs, chicken, fish, and shrimp eventually evolved into a focused pizza operation. The Ilitches quickly discovered their winning formula: offering quality pizza at prices that competitors simply couldn’t match. In their first week of operation, they sold 296 pizzas, establishing early proof that their business model resonated with customers seeking value without sacrificing quality.[4]

The expansion of Little Caesars accelerated rapidly throughout the 1960s. The first franchise opened in 1962 in the Detroit metropolitan area, marking the beginning of the company’s franchising strategy that would prove instrumental to its growth.[1][2] By the end of the 1960s, Little Caesars had established or franchised over 50 restaurants, including its first international location in Canada, demonstrating the brand’s appeal beyond its Michigan origins.[4] The company’s commitment to using only natural ingredients—including high-gluten flour in pizza dough, specially grown California tomatoes, and grade A cheese—set it apart from competitors who relied on synthetic flavorings and lower-quality components.[4]

During the 1970s, Little Caesars entered a period of phenomenal innovation and growth. In 1971, the company introduced its now-famous “Pizza! Pizza! Two Great Pizzas! One Low Price!” marketing concept, which became a permanent fixture of the brand’s identity and forced competitors in saturated markets to adopt similar promotional strategies.[4] That same year, the company made the strategic decision to transition from delivery to a carry-out-only model, a choice that would define its operational approach for decades.[4] The company also introduced drive-through windows in 1977 and developed a revolutionary pizza conveyor oven in 1979 that significantly accelerated production efficiency.[4] Additionally, in 1971, Mike and Marian purchased a mushroom farm to streamline production, which eventually evolved into Blue Line Distributing, a full-service distribution operation serving all Little Caesars units.[4]

By 1985, Little Caesars had become the largest carry-out pizza company in the United States, boasting 1,000 stores and achieving $1 billion in sales.[1] The chain had expanded to all 50 states by the end of the 1980s, establishing itself as a dominant force in the American pizza industry through aggressive advertising campaigns that made “Pizza! Pizza!” a household phrase.[1] In 1997, the company introduced its “Hot-N-Ready Pizza” concept—a large pepperoni pizza sold for $5—which proved so successful that it became a permanent business model fixture.[2]

Today, Little Caesars operates as the third largest pizza chain by total sales in the United States, behind only Domino’s and Pizza Hut.[2] The Anaheim location continues this legacy of providing affordable, quality pizza and signature menu items to its community. Between 2008 and 2015, Little Caesars was recognized as the fastest-growing pizza chain in the United States, and as of 2017, the company operated 5,463 locations across the United States and internationally in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.[2] The business remains owned by Ilitch Holdings and headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, maintaining the family values and commitment to quality that Mike and Marian Ilitch established over 65 years ago.