I worked there for a time. They would refrigerate all the hot and ready pizzas that got too old to sell and the local mission and other charities would come pick them up and feed the needy. It was a good 100 to 200 pizzas a week.
I actually used to get free little Ceasars pizza. No shame here. Food is food. It would help my mom with packing our lunch as my parents couldnt afford food for 4 kids in school.
I'm not a fan of Little Caesar's Hot 'n Ready pizzas, but their lunch combo, a four slice deep dish pepperoni personal pizza with 20oz bottled drink for $5 is among the best lunch deals in fast food. It's beyond filling and could easily feed two moderately hungry people, it's fast, and crazy cheap. You never hear it talked about and it gets very little fanfare in advertisements, but I consider it the high mark of Little Caesars without question.
The lunch combo is both a great value and a great pizza, it's a good thing those Deep Deep Dish pizzas stayed around and didn't get discontinued like all the other limited time pizzas. They really don't advertise anything other than their Hot-N-Ready pizzas and whatever new thing they have that month. The lunch combo hasn't had a sign at the place near me for years, and the only mention of it is a small spot on the menuboard in store, had to ask if they still had it last time I went as they really don't show it off anymore.
I agree about the lunch combo's value. However, I have yet to visit a Little Caesar's where the lunch combo is actually Hot 'n Ready. I always have to order it and wait. That really annoys me. It's advertised as "Hot 'n Ready", not the "Order and Wait" combo. By the way, where I live, in the Central Valley of CA, the lunch combo now costs $5.99.
I often wonder how many of us would have starved to death without Little Ceasar's cheap pizza. I know my Mom was a big fan of the hot-n-ready when she was working her ass off with two(sometimes three) jobs.
Tell the truth I remember all that plus the pizza wars going on.. She would buy what ever was cheap at the time.. or what ever we could afford. It was something to look forward too and also taco Fridays.
As a broke college student, Little Caesar’s was my best friend for a solid two months when I’d squandered most of my money and was living off the meager allowance my parents were sending me. They kept my ass well-fed during that period, and I’ll never forget them for that.
I generally prefer mom-and-pop pizza places, but Little Caesar's is actually my preferred "greasy fast food chain" pizza of the three big names. can't rightly explain why, but it is probably nostalgia from always ordering it when visiting my grandpa's house back in the early 00s
I remember getting the "Pizza Pizza" deal on Friday nights sometimes and renting a movie and a video game if I was lucky. Long before the Hot n Ready was a thing.
I can say exactly why it’s my favorite; or used to be, it was the cheapest and fastest pizza. No one sold a pizza for 5 bucks, 6 if you want it slathered in oil and garlic, and it was walk in carry out. Nowadays 2 pies and a crazy bread runs over $20 and I might as well get delivery from Marco’s.
LC uses a good combination of pepperoni, cheese, and crust. There's little differences between all of the bottom tier chains, but LCs just tastes the best to me. I used to work at Dominos, which is my 2nd fav (although I don't eat there much anymore, as you can understand).
Little Caesar's IS a mom and pop pizza place. They've just expanded their operation so that instead of paying the salaries of a handful of people, they're paying the salaries of a million people. Thanks Little Caesar's!
I adore the Ilitch’s and their story. Learning about them a few years ago made me feel very good about supporting their shops. I go around defending the brand against the pizza snobs (which I once was) and I’m so happy our local shop is under new management (because now it’s always delicious instead of hit or miss) . The sticks and slices hot n ready is our favorite Friday night treat! Thank you for sharing their story. Truly awesome people.
I’m also a little Caesar’s defender mainly for the Ilitch’s long history of charity. But also because their pricing being as low as it is has kept many from not starving. For some a $5 hot n ready is trash but for those that have to count every Penny it might be the best meal they have had for the week. Also they come out with the best commercials and some crazy unique limited time pizzas like the pretzel pizza. Thank god I grew up during the pizza wars and in Michigan right by dominos and little Caesar’s HQ’s are it was such a fun time.
I'm a pizza snob and I still love Little Caesars and have for over 40 years! I actually like their cheap $14 Supreme Pizza (been ordering it consistently since late 1993 along with the Meatsa) and find its topping ratio pretty good compared to others. Too many toppings actually can ruin a pizza too IMO.
As a Detroit resident the illtich family does more harm than good. Just like every other billionaire they’re philanthropists but that’s just for good PR. Do some research on their forced blight and destroying of historic neighborhoods. They buy out land, kick out businesses and force the buildings to stay vacant. They let the properties rot as the surrounding land’s value plummets. They then buy up this land for cheap and use it to build their billion dollar empire. A good part of the reason you see the ruins of Detroit on TV is because of the iltich family. Handing out pizza to poor people is nice, but letting parts of the city rot and decay is not.
The saddest thing about Mr. I’s investment in the Tigers is he actually wanted success in the form of a World Series Championship but only got 2 WS appearances in 2006 and 2012 before his death in 2017. RIP to a Detroit pizza and sports legend-we’ll never forget the great value and the 4 Stanley Cups your ownership brought to the Detroit Red Wings.
For me, Pizza Hut has really dipped down in recent years. Dominos is still my favorite pizza chain, but Little Caesar's has really impressed me as of late. Their old school curled pepperoni pizza really hit the spot with me last weekend. So much cheese and so much pepperoni, it really makes itself worth the $10+ you pay for it.
@@NujwOayk I was never a fan of Pizza Hut (always makes me run to the bathroom), but their pizza definitely used to be better in the 80s or 90s. LCs is the best, and Domino's is number two.
The first Little Caesars pizza I ever tried was up here in Canada, in the late 80's. It was definitely a good price for an unemployed teenager. Great video and thank you!
Here in Scarborough (now Toronto), our giant Mothers Pizza turned into a Little Caesars around 89?. Was a huge eat in restaurant. Was the fricken best! They werent fast n ready back then. Was real quality
I must be insane because Mothers pizza is the worst pizza I have ever had in my life. The most expensive pizza I've ever purchased and it had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. I'm glad the Mothers pizza in Niagara went out of business, they were a terrible sit down restaurant and even worse pizza place
Honestly of the big chains, Little Ceaser's is probably the best. It doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It's not fantastic, high quality pizza, but if you want something that'll feed you for a few days on the cheap, they're there for that.
Place is alright but more inconsistent than the other places of what to expect. Sometimes you're shocked by how good a 7$ pizza is and other times you feel like you got cheated. And this is coming from someone who's worked there for 5 years.
I went to the Little Caesars by my house and someone came in talking crap and the worker went outside, literally put the guy to sleep, went back inside and started making the pizza again. It was fantastic.
I will say this for Little Caesar's in the 1990s, they had the best commercials on tv. I only had the BIGFOOT pizza from Pizza Hut and all it really was is an oversized birthday party pizza. Little Caesar's still makes a good pizza and I'm glad they're still around to break up the standard Pizza Hut/Domino's game.
I'm German and in 2010 I did a school year abroad in North Carolina and Little Caesar's was the go to pizza chain of my host family. While Dominos (even though they basically just overtook some other regional chains here) und PApa John's (finally one authentic American style Pepperoni Pizza in Germany!) have expanded to Germany in recent years, I really wish Little Caesar's would do so as well.
I'm surprised they aren't in Germany, as they use German Munster Cheese more than Mozzarella in their mix. And it's why I love them. But I'm a Canadian.
@@eno6712 Until like ten years ago the German pizza delivery market was waaaaay to fragmented. I mentioned that Dominos took over some chains but neither of those served the entire country. Individual business with only a few local stores can still be a big thing over here. Dominos just scooped up some of the biggest chains from different regions and while they may by now be THE biggest national name, smaller almost nation wide competitors and local chains have their comsiderable market share. Plus Dominos until recently had no own identity but rather just conginuing the menu of the chains they swallowed. Compare that with Pizza Hut which has been around in Germany for a while now especially in regions where the US military is present. But neither are hey known here for delivery or full blown dining but rather fast food that is mostly consumed as an individual slice take out
@@KasCalwein I suspect it might be too late for them to make the jump successfully, as the market segment of take-out pizza is already quite saturated in Germany. This takes into account that eating on the go is not really the German style of having lunch.
Cool video. Growing up here in Pontiac, Michigan, I am very familiar with Little Caesars and have been in a TV commercial for them. Little Caesars used to have a very good toasted tuna melt on their menu in late 80's and mid 1990's. Fun times!
It was not toasted, it was pizza dough baked in half-moon pans. The tuna in water was mixed with mayo and coleslaw dressing. I worked at LC for about six years in the 80s/90s and make those tuna melts to this day.
LC has been a big part of my life! My childhood had occassional pizza pizza treats. My husband delivered pizza for them during our college years, in a '73 cutlass supreme V8 when gas was 99 cents a gallon. Our daughters firat trick or treat halloween had very cold temps, so we visited him at work and she was given a slice of pizza as a treat. We love the Tigers and the Red Wings, and attend various events at both Tiger Stadium/Comerica park as well as Joe Louis Arena and now LC arena. Ilitch has put a lot of money back in to Detroit, something very much needed. Our rural MI town boasts an LC with a drive-thru, and we still indulge now and then. Raising 4 kids, 3 boys and all 4 in sports, meant a lot of pizza! LC made this affordable (esp when the teen boys consider an entire pizza 1 serving😂😂). Domino's and LC fight for MI's heart, and we appreciate all the owners have done to reinvest in our state. Thanks for mentioning Rosa Parks too!! ❤❤❤❤❤
Hands down my favorite cheap pizza for many years. Happy to read the comments of the stories and impact this fast food chain has done! Rest well Mike Ilitch, your impact is an underrated legacy.
There's actually a still-operating Dine-In location in Corunna, MI. Their quality is a noticeable step up from the normal locations (especially the deep dish). They are also one of very few locations that offer what locals call "orange cheese," a crazy bread spread that's a whipped mix of pizza sauce and cream cheese and it is AMAZING.
Man I miss the heyday of the 1990's pizza wars. I get their lunch combo because it is an amazing deal. Pizza and soda for like 5 bucks is hard to beat. Also their pizzas kept me fed during some really rough times.
While watching this video I was feeling some nostalgia seeing the big big pizzas my dad would bring home after work, and picking up a bag of crazy bread to nibble on while shopping at Kmart when I was a kid. Real shame about PIzza Hut. Those dine in nights were truly special events for kids back in the day.
I do remember one night, the weekend after my birthday, my mom let three of my friends stay over late, went swimming, played video games as usual, but I'd been asking my parents if we could order a Bigfoot pizza after seeing the commercial, so she finally did for that night with my friends.
Michigan is the all star game of pizza franchises. LC, Domino's, Jets, Hungry Howies are the most popular ones. All have their own "niches". LC for value, Jets for quality, Domino's for selection and HH for their flavored crust. If you order LC off the menu, they have some really good pies. Nice work, WH!
LC's "pizza portal" is whole 'nother "killer niche" they have going. Nothing like walking past the line, keying in your 3-digit code (or QR code on your phone), and leaving without talking to anyone .
@@joez.2794 They should put that pizza portal thing on a drive through lane (lay it out horizontally, instead of vertically). Roll up, enter your code, and a mini pizza garage door opens... then pull forward and grab it through your window.
I do not frequent Little Caesars, but when times are tough and you need something filling and cheap, Little Caesars is awesome. I am glad they do a lot of work to 'give back.' Happy for the Ilitch's and their amazing success story!
IMO their best 'value' pizza is the *cheese stuffed crust* version of their Extra Most Bestest pepperoni pizza. I don't normally go for stuffed crust, but it's only about a dollar more and makes the pizza approximately twice as filling (meaning I can double the amount of meals from one pizza, for only $1 more).
My grandfather had a side hustle installing aluminum awnings. All of the houses in the neighbourhood had them. It was actually sad to see a few years back the current owners of my grandparents' former house had taken them off. They didn't know the local history.
I love little Caesar's just from a nostalgia point. Hot and Ready pizza was a mainstay in my college life 2005-2009. Lately I have been torn from them because of the shaky franchise platform. I did an online order and showed up to a closed store with no food, but my order was stated as complete and I never got a refund. I hear that customer service is non existent or difficult to get any response on refunds, so I haven't ordered from them since. I use slice and support local chains now. Love seeing the videos as always. 😁
Lil Ceasars is great when you're on a budget. I use to dislike them, but there improved the quality of their food a lot. They're not my go to, but if ever I wanted a quick, hot, cheap but decent pizza then they'd be one of the options I'd consider.
Pro tip: call ahead and have them make one fresh, instead of buying whatever is sitting on the rack. Pro tip #2: Their cheese stuffed crust Extra Most Bestest is the best bang for the buck (it's twice as filling as a plain old pepperoni, and doesn't cost much more).
The 1990’s Little Caesars commercials where THE BEST! I genuinely still remember AT LEAST 3 off the top of my head, and still giggle! “Is it on straight?” F-ing comedy GOLD!!!
the pizza was different back then. even the crazy bread tasted different. the pizza pizza with a side order of crazy bread was a fabulous meal for the whole family
I've eaten Little Caesar's since I was a little kid. It's not the best pizza around, but it fills you up just right when you don't have a lot of money. You just gotta know when to get a pizza fresh right out of the oven. Most of the time, their regular large pizzas are already made. They'll hand them to you in as little under a minute. If you really want a freshly made pizza from them, order the Extra Most Bestest Pizza. It'll take some time, but it's worth it.
I'm so glad you guys did a very positive video about all the good LCs has done. They also give out free pizzas to veterans every years, something that the others don't. The pizza is solid, it's obviously not the best, but it's great value, something that struggling families, single bachelors, schools, etc. really appreciate. There are so many "pizza snobs" droning on about "their local mom and pops store," it makes me sick. Nothing wrong with chain pizza, especially one that gives back to its community.
While I don't love Little Ceasar's pizzas, they just have that unique taste/texture/whatever that I get nostalgic for every couple of years. If I want an actually good pizza, I'll usually just go to my favorite local place. But nothing can really compare to the tasty low quality Little Caesar's pizza.
This was an amazing video, Weird History! Little Caesar's used to have this DELICIOUS bacon stuffed crust pizza, but it was discontinued very quickly. Weird thing is, the Little Caesar's near me closed down after the discontinuation of the bacon stuffed crust. It's cool to see that Little Caesar's still uses their mascot, considering both Pizza Hut and Domino's dropped theirs. Well, Noid makes an appearance now and then, but Donny Domino is only a walkaround character, which I think is a huge shame. Donny was a pretty cool mascot, and I feel like he and Dottie could have been used more.
Whenever I'm feeling like a cheapskate, I order Little Caesars thinking to myself "Pizza is pizza. I'm willing to give up quality for the price"... And then I take my first bite and regret it EVERY TIME. It's just so bad, even factoring in the price. But when I'm hungry, I forget and order it like 4 times a year.
Hey, Pizza Hut was fine dining for kids of the 80s and 90s. And they served pitchers of beer, so dads loved it too. Or at least the ones in my area did.
too bad the prices are now too high to justify the crappy pizza. $5 I can let it go, now that it is over $7.50 for a "hot n ready" pizza, it's unacceptable
Little Ceasars is my favorite, cheapest, and depending on location, really good. There have been patches of bad employees, but usually they don't last long.
Even if money isn't so tight, the pizza isn't bad (I've paid a lot more for worse). It's not about how much money you make, it's about how much you save.
It's my favorite. The food court at Costco is usually open to the public, and they sell giant pizzas (18" is larger than most places 'extra large' size) for only about $9. I prefer LC's pizza, but Costco's will feed more people.
I actually like the hot and ready pizza. Is it the best pizza? No. But it is decent pizza, now, and for an extremely low price. And those factors are important in the frantic pace people live their lives now. My local Little Caesars is constantly busy.
If you were a skinny skinny kid, that's why. The only way LC (or that Friday "school lunch" pizza if you've ever tried to find it), will ever taste that good again, is f you get your waist < 30" :-)
For those of you who loved it, there is still a Little Caesars Pizza Station at the Kmart store in Upper Tumon, Guam (there are also four successful Kmart stores in the Virgin Islands, but they don't have Little Caesars).
My economics professor said he thought Little Caesar’s was about the best bang for buck franchise you could get after talking to the employees one day and the units they sold just that day alone. Course having it across the street from a college was also a good idea.
It is... I'm good at economics and I also used to work at Domino's. The best bang for your buck is a LC's cheese stuffed crust Extra Most Bestest (you have to ask for the cheese stuffed version). The stuffed crust is way more filling, and doesn't cost much more. If you live near a Costco, their food court is usually open to the public and they sell a GIANT pizza for only about $9. It's an 18" pizza... compared to a Domino's large, which is 14", and a Domino's extra large, which is 16". If you're a Costco member, they also have very good take and bake pizzas inside the store (more than just cheese or pepperoni options, also 18"), which I find to be better and cheaper than Papa Murphy's.
Two people with no college education, in a time when minimum wage was a dollar, managed to save $10k all on their own in a matter of months. Times have changed.
Little Caesars never overplays who they are or takes themselves too seriously, they know who and what they are and make no qualms about it, tha'ts why they succeed.
They also use very good cheese and pepperoni, and have low prices. Any company that gives customers a good value, year after year, is going to succeed.
i love Little Ceasar, they are fast, tastes good, and always accessible, When you're sick of burgers or tacos, Little Ceasars is great for a quick pizza pick up along with their crazy bread and chicken wings
For the price, I LOVED Little Caesars. Used to grab a $5 pizza on the way to work when I was on nights. Had to stop eating there though. Took a bite and broke a tooth. Cost me around $450 to get it fixed (no dental insurance). Figured it was a fluke so tried them again and got something, bone or rock, stuck between teeth. Gave them up for good at that point. Not going to risk breaking anymore teeth because they use cheap cornmeal to dust their pans.
Dentist here. Teeth were prolly in a bad condition and hollowed out from cavity. Eventually, anything will break it at that point. It just happened to be lil caesars since you were eating a lot of it at the time.
FYI, nothing wrong with my teeth. Haven't had cavities since I was a kid. Never had any issues before or since. If the tooth had been bad, the dentist would have pushed for a crown or implant rather than a simple repair.
True story. I and 3 other work colleagues were in the California desert for about a year and a half building a solar power site. One day, i had to drive into the closest town, which was tiny, to buy some materials we needed. While i was in buying hardware from the hardware store, i noticed the K mart across the street. Went over and bought 3 hot and now pepperoni pizzas. When i got back, i only brought one pizza in with me. When my co-workers saw it was little Caesar's, they turned their noses up. But it wasn't long before all 3 were consumed. The main comment? "I didn't think they were any good, but this *IS* good."
Not sure how the rest of the country is doing, but here in Minnesota, LC is basically dead. I know of at least four locations that closed in the past few years, and only one that might still be open. If they are, I'm going there real soon, not just because this video has made me hungry for crazy bread and pretzel pizza again, but out of a very real fear that the chain could vanish tomorrow (at least from the local area), much as Blimpie's Subs did at around the same time LC started to look a bit anemic.
Oh man. Being a 12-year-old back in the early '90s during the great pizza wars. What a magical time to be a kid. God I miss it. But you just can't beat the convenience of ordering a Little Caesars pizza on the app, driving over, and then being in and out of the building in less than 1 minute thanks to the pizza portal. But still I'd trade it for a second to go back to the Pizza wars
Almost all privately held companies provide better products and services then major wall street businesses.. never really the other 2 and untill recently little caesar were difficult to locate.. but they will be on my go to places now.
Little Caesar's pepperoni pizzas have always been just a step above Domino's and their cardboard crust, but the lunch combo isn't something to scoff at. It's good that the Deep Deep Dish stuck around and wasn't a limited time thing like their pretzel pizza. The staple Crazy Bread and Italian Cheese Breads are still leagues above when you'd find at a different pizza place, and once they nail the dessert pizza, there will be no stopping them.
Little Caesrs was my family's go-to every other weekend. With four kids, it was a great deal. I really love the thick crust more than anything and the mushrooms.
Little Caesar's came to my hometown in the late 80's. They had a great special: the Baby Pan! Pan! It was only $2 and very delicious because the cheese and crust were very crispy, there was a little more cheese, four pepperoni slices in each square, and the right amount of marinara sauce. I was hooked on them!
My Dad used to get my brothers and I Little Caesar's Pizza when we kids, and didn't feel like cooking anything. Their pizza was delicious in my opinion, but it was their crazy bread and sauce that I just couldn't get enough of! 😋❤️🍕🥖
It's funny watching this as a Detroit local and native. A lot of this is common knowledge here, particularly everything about the Illitches. They're a household name here, along with the Fords (who own the Detroit Lions). When I used to groom dogs, one of my clients was one of the Illitches, don't know who, it was always an assistant that dropped off and picked up, but the tip was ALWAYS nice. Between them and the Fords, they have done a LOT in recent years to rejuvenate the city from what it once was.
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
I worked there for a time. They would refrigerate all the hot and ready pizzas that got too old to sell and the local mission and other charities would come pick them up and feed the needy. It was a good 100 to 200 pizzas a week.
Makes so much more sense than just throwing them out, I am happy to know that they support the needy that way!
I've always wondered why poverty-stricken are so obese and have such short lives
I actually used to get free little Ceasars pizza. No shame here. Food is food. It would help my mom with packing our lunch as my parents couldnt afford food for 4 kids in school.
@@AttitudeIndicator as opposed to not living at all due to dying of hunger? Sounds like a decent trade-off
That's fucking bullshit I work hard for my money and get the same pizza. Tell the free loaders to chugg dick
Their quiet charity is quite inspiring.
I was not aware of that. Where or whom does Little Caesar’s donate to?
@@williampaz2092 they give out scholarships to kids
Unlike other that want stick it in your face
their quiet ability to run the tigers and red wings is a joke.
@@williampaz2092 apparently their ceo was paying for Rosa parks rent the entire time too.
I'm not a fan of Little Caesar's Hot 'n Ready pizzas, but their lunch combo, a four slice deep dish pepperoni personal pizza with 20oz bottled drink for $5 is among the best lunch deals in fast food. It's beyond filling and could easily feed two moderately hungry people, it's fast, and crazy cheap. You never hear it talked about and it gets very little fanfare in advertisements, but I consider it the high mark of Little Caesars without question.
The lunch combo is both a great value and a great pizza, it's a good thing those Deep Deep Dish pizzas stayed around and didn't get discontinued like all the other limited time pizzas.
They really don't advertise anything other than their Hot-N-Ready pizzas and whatever new thing they have that month. The lunch combo hasn't had a sign at the place near me for years, and the only mention of it is a small spot on the menuboard in store, had to ask if they still had it last time I went as they really don't show it off anymore.
It's a solid idea for the price, aye. And I agree it deserves more recognition than it gets.
The lunch combo is 🔥
Yeah that's the Detroit style and the crust is divine.
I agree about the lunch combo's value. However, I have yet to visit a Little Caesar's where the lunch combo is actually Hot 'n Ready. I always have to order it and wait. That really annoys me. It's advertised as "Hot 'n Ready", not the "Order and Wait" combo. By the way, where I live, in the Central Valley of CA, the lunch combo now costs $5.99.
I often wonder how many of us would have starved to death without Little Ceasar's cheap pizza. I know my Mom was a big fan of the hot-n-ready when she was working her ass off with two(sometimes three) jobs.
Tell the truth I remember all that plus the pizza wars going on.. She would buy what ever was cheap at the time.. or what ever we could afford. It was something to look forward too and also taco Fridays.
As a broke college student, Little Caesar’s was my best friend for a solid two months when I’d squandered most of my money and was living off the meager allowance my parents were sending me. They kept my ass well-fed during that period, and I’ll never forget them for that.
@@IloveJellow lol taco Fridays? That’s odd.
@@RichardGarcia93 not so odd when your mother is working from 12am too 12pm... with only a Saturday off.
@@jeffreymodesitt3345meager allowance... lol as a child I asked for allowance once from my mom, she offered me the door. 😂
I generally prefer mom-and-pop pizza places, but Little Caesar's is actually my preferred "greasy fast food chain" pizza of the three big names. can't rightly explain why, but it is probably nostalgia from always ordering it when visiting my grandpa's house back in the early 00s
I remember getting the "Pizza Pizza" deal on Friday nights sometimes and renting a movie and a video game if I was lucky. Long before the Hot n Ready was a thing.
I can say exactly why it’s my favorite; or used to be, it was the cheapest and fastest pizza. No one sold a pizza for 5 bucks, 6 if you want it slathered in oil and garlic, and it was walk in carry out.
Nowadays 2 pies and a crazy bread runs over $20 and I might as well get delivery from Marco’s.
LC uses a good combination of pepperoni, cheese, and crust. There's little differences between all of the bottom tier chains, but LCs just tastes the best to me. I used to work at Dominos, which is my 2nd fav (although I don't eat there much anymore, as you can understand).
Little Caesar's IS a mom and pop pizza place. They've just expanded their operation so that instead of paying the salaries of a handful of people, they're paying the salaries of a million people. Thanks Little Caesar's!
I adore the Ilitch’s and their story. Learning about them a few years ago made me feel very good about supporting their shops. I go around defending the brand against the pizza snobs (which I once was) and I’m so happy our local shop is under new management (because now it’s always delicious instead of hit or miss) . The sticks and slices hot n ready is our favorite Friday night treat! Thank you for sharing their story. Truly awesome people.
I’m also a little Caesar’s defender mainly for the Ilitch’s long history of charity. But also because their pricing being as low as it is has kept many from not starving. For some a $5 hot n ready is trash but for those that have to count every Penny it might be the best meal they have had for the week. Also they come out with the best commercials and some crazy unique limited time pizzas like the pretzel pizza. Thank god I grew up during the pizza wars and in Michigan right by dominos and little Caesar’s HQ’s are it was such a fun time.
Having just learned about them from this video I'll be joining those ranks soon myself. Seem like really awesome people.
I'm a pizza snob and I still love Little Caesars and have for over 40 years! I actually like their cheap $14 Supreme Pizza (been ordering it consistently since late 1993 along with the Meatsa) and find its topping ratio pretty good compared to others. Too many toppings actually can ruin a pizza too IMO.
they’re turning detroit into a parking lot for profit under the guise of their past charitable actions
As a Detroit resident the illtich family does more harm than good. Just like every other billionaire they’re philanthropists but that’s just for good PR. Do some research on their forced blight and destroying of historic neighborhoods. They buy out land, kick out businesses and force the buildings to stay vacant. They let the properties rot as the surrounding land’s value plummets. They then buy up this land for cheap and use it to build their billion dollar empire. A good part of the reason you see the ruins of Detroit on TV is because of the iltich family. Handing out pizza to poor people is nice, but letting parts of the city rot and decay is not.
The saddest thing about Mr. I’s investment in the Tigers is he actually wanted success in the form of a World Series Championship but only got 2 WS appearances in 2006 and 2012 before his death in 2017. RIP to a Detroit pizza and sports legend-we’ll never forget the great value and the 4 Stanley Cups your ownership brought to the Detroit Red Wings.
For me, Pizza Hut has really dipped down in recent years. Dominos is still my favorite pizza chain, but Little Caesar's has really impressed me as of late. Their old school curled pepperoni pizza really hit the spot with me last weekend. So much cheese and so much pepperoni, it really makes itself worth the $10+ you pay for it.
If Pizza Hut of today was the same version in the 80s no one would know their name today.
@@edwardleemiller-eo8jp They used to taste good, they no longer do.
@@NujwOayk I was never a fan of Pizza Hut (always makes me run to the bathroom), but their pizza definitely used to be better in the 80s or 90s. LCs is the best, and Domino's is number two.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Somewhere on this thread I posted near the same thing.
I agree, that old world pep pizza is something else. I always go dominos but I had to try that and was not disappointed
The first Little Caesars pizza I ever tried was up here in Canada, in the late 80's. It was definitely a good price for an unemployed teenager. Great video and thank you!
Windsor Ontario is the pizza capital of Canada. Love Mother's and Capri.
Here in Scarborough (now Toronto), our giant Mothers Pizza turned into a Little Caesars around 89?. Was a huge eat in restaurant. Was the fricken best! They werent fast n ready back then. Was real quality
I must be insane because Mothers pizza is the worst pizza I have ever had in my life. The most expensive pizza I've ever purchased and it had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. I'm glad the Mothers pizza in Niagara went out of business, they were a terrible sit down restaurant and even worse pizza place
Honestly of the big chains, Little Ceaser's is probably the best.
It doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. It's not fantastic, high quality pizza, but if you want something that'll feed you for a few days on the cheap, they're there for that.
*Little Caesars
The Little Caesars where I live absolutely suck. They were awesome in the early 90's, but not anymore.
Op. Dominos is the best.
Place is alright but more inconsistent than the other places of what to expect. Sometimes you're shocked by how good a 7$ pizza is and other times you feel like you got cheated. And this is coming from someone who's worked there for 5 years.
@@rgeiler7627 I agree. Sometimes their pizzas are cooked to perfection, but sometimes their undercooked and meh.
The 90s pizza wars that we all benefit from as a kid.
They were almost giving pizza away, at one point. Of course, Taco Bell still sold tacos for $0.29 or $0.39 at that time.
I went to the Little Caesars by my house and someone came in talking crap and the worker went outside, literally put the guy to sleep, went back inside and started making the pizza again. It was fantastic.
.... Nice 😂
Taking a crap or talking crap? Those are two wildly different stories.
@@godzilladestroyscities1757 I was hoping it was taking a crap, but I guess it was not so.
A
A
I will say this for Little Caesar's in the 1990s, they had the best commercials on tv. I only had the BIGFOOT pizza from Pizza Hut and all it really was is an oversized birthday party pizza. Little Caesar's still makes a good pizza and I'm glad they're still around to break up the standard Pizza Hut/Domino's game.
I'm German and in 2010 I did a school year abroad in North Carolina and Little Caesar's was the go to pizza chain of my host family. While Dominos (even though they basically just overtook some other regional chains here) und PApa John's (finally one authentic American style Pepperoni Pizza in Germany!) have expanded to Germany in recent years, I really wish Little Caesar's would do so as well.
I'm surprised they aren't in Germany, as they use German Munster Cheese more than Mozzarella in their mix.
And it's why I love them.
But I'm a Canadian.
@@eno6712 Until like ten years ago the German pizza delivery market was waaaaay to fragmented. I mentioned that Dominos took over some chains but neither of those served the entire country. Individual business with only a few local stores can still be a big thing over here. Dominos just scooped up some of the biggest chains from different regions and while they may by now be THE biggest national name, smaller almost nation wide competitors and local chains have their comsiderable market share. Plus Dominos until recently had no own identity but rather just conginuing the menu of the chains they swallowed. Compare that with Pizza Hut which has been around in Germany for a while now especially in regions where the US military is present. But neither are hey known here for delivery or full blown dining but rather fast food that is mostly consumed as an individual slice take out
@@KasCalwein I suspect it might be too late for them to make the jump successfully, as the market segment of take-out pizza is already quite saturated in Germany. This takes into account that eating on the go is not really the German style of having lunch.
papa john is ptomaine gurranteed
Papa John's is the worst pizza chain. I hope you Germans have at least one option for a 'good' pizza.
Cool video. Growing up here in Pontiac, Michigan, I am very familiar with Little Caesars and have been in a TV commercial for them. Little Caesars used to have a very good toasted tuna melt on their menu in late 80's and mid 1990's. Fun times!
It was not toasted, it was pizza dough baked in half-moon pans. The tuna in water was mixed with mayo and coleslaw dressing. I worked at LC for about six years in the 80s/90s and make those tuna melts to this day.
Pontiac lc has terrible hygiene
LC has been a big part of my life! My childhood had occassional pizza pizza treats. My husband delivered pizza for them during our college years, in a '73 cutlass supreme V8 when gas was 99 cents a gallon. Our daughters firat trick or treat halloween had very cold temps, so we visited him at work and she was given a slice of pizza as a treat. We love the Tigers and the Red Wings, and attend various events at both Tiger Stadium/Comerica park as well as Joe Louis Arena and now LC arena. Ilitch has put a lot of money back in to Detroit, something very much needed. Our rural MI town boasts an LC with a drive-thru, and we still indulge now and then. Raising 4 kids, 3 boys and all 4 in sports, meant a lot of pizza! LC made this affordable (esp when the teen boys consider an entire pizza 1 serving😂😂). Domino's and LC fight for MI's heart, and we appreciate all the owners have done to reinvest in our state. Thanks for mentioning Rosa Parks too!! ❤❤❤❤❤
Hands down my favorite cheap pizza for many years. Happy to read the comments of the stories and impact this fast food chain has done! Rest well Mike Ilitch, your impact is an underrated legacy.
There's actually a still-operating Dine-In location in Corunna, MI. Their quality is a noticeable step up from the normal locations (especially the deep dish). They are also one of very few locations that offer what locals call "orange cheese," a crazy bread spread that's a whipped mix of pizza sauce and cream cheese and it is AMAZING.
Man I miss the heyday of the 1990's pizza wars. I get their lunch combo because it is an amazing deal. Pizza and soda for like 5 bucks is hard to beat. Also their pizzas kept me fed during some really rough times.
While watching this video I was feeling some nostalgia seeing the big big pizzas my dad would bring home after work, and picking up a bag of crazy bread to nibble on while shopping at Kmart when I was a kid. Real shame about PIzza Hut. Those dine in nights were truly special events for kids back in the day.
I do remember one night, the weekend after my birthday, my mom let three of my friends stay over late, went swimming, played video games as usual, but I'd been asking my parents if we could order a Bigfoot pizza after seeing the commercial, so she finally did for that night with my friends.
Ah, the Bigfoot! They also used to have 3 separate square pizzas in one box, but I can't remember the name of that deal.
While you were eating pizza,I was bangin out your mom
Michigan is the all star game of pizza franchises. LC, Domino's, Jets, Hungry Howies are the most popular ones. All have their own "niches".
LC for value, Jets for quality, Domino's for selection and HH for their flavored crust. If you order LC off the menu, they have some really good pies.
Nice work, WH!
LC's "pizza portal" is whole 'nother "killer niche" they have going. Nothing like walking past the line, keying in your 3-digit code (or QR code on your phone), and leaving without talking to anyone .
@@joez.2794 They should put that pizza portal thing on a drive through lane (lay it out horizontally, instead of vertically). Roll up, enter your code, and a mini pizza garage door opens... then pull forward and grab it through your window.
I do not frequent Little Caesars, but when times are tough and you need something filling and cheap, Little Caesars is awesome. I am glad they do a lot of work to 'give back.' Happy for the Ilitch's and their amazing success story!
IMO their best 'value' pizza is the *cheese stuffed crust* version of their Extra Most Bestest pepperoni pizza. I don't normally go for stuffed crust, but it's only about a dollar more and makes the pizza approximately twice as filling (meaning I can double the amount of meals from one pizza, for only $1 more).
Domino’s really has the same prices tho
@@StephenJones-n2v 🤔
Thats crazy cause Blue Line just bought out a big recycling center here, central ohio.
My grandfather had a side hustle installing aluminum awnings. All of the houses in the neighbourhood had them. It was actually sad to see a few years back the current owners of my grandparents' former house had taken them off. They didn't know the local history.
I don't know why it feels so rare to hear about a founder's story that didn't end in divorce.
An amazing family, I loved their story, thank you for brining it to light.
I used to love Little Caesars pizza! Unfortunately I can't eat pizza anymore. On another note...our narrator is back! Woo Hoo! Thank you! 🙏☮️❤️
What about crazy bread?
@@BeyondDaX yeah I loved that too but because of digestive issues I can no longer have any of it sadly. It sucks to get old 😔
Well, you can have it at least one more time in your life.
I love little Caesar's just from a nostalgia point. Hot and Ready pizza was a mainstay in my college life 2005-2009. Lately I have been torn from them because of the shaky franchise platform. I did an online order and showed up to a closed store with no food, but my order was stated as complete and I never got a refund. I hear that customer service is non existent or difficult to get any response on refunds, so I haven't ordered from them since. I use slice and support local chains now. Love seeing the videos as always. 😁
Hmm,the two complaints I have had with them I was completely satisfied with their Customer service.
Lil Ceasars is great when you're on a budget. I use to dislike them, but there improved the quality of their food a lot. They're not my go to, but if ever I wanted a quick, hot, cheap but decent pizza then they'd be one of the options I'd consider.
Pro tip: call ahead and have them make one fresh, instead of buying whatever is sitting on the rack.
Pro tip #2: Their cheese stuffed crust Extra Most Bestest is the best bang for the buck (it's twice as filling as a plain old pepperoni, and doesn't cost much more).
I so loved that two pizza bag, such good childhood memories of Friday night pizzas!
The 1990’s Little Caesars commercials where THE BEST! I genuinely still remember AT LEAST 3 off the top of my head, and still giggle!
“Is it on straight?” F-ing comedy GOLD!!!
Nothing will beat 90’s fast food
Whoever wrote this script is absolutely fantastic! It’s such good writing.
We hope to see more content like this. They contain information we all need to know about.
Great episode... Thanks for doing the research and posting a video.
Gosh, didn’t know they performed so much charity work. Glad their company has found so much success.
the pizza was different back then. even the crazy bread tasted different. the pizza pizza with a side order of crazy bread was a fabulous meal for the whole family
LCs even had the 3 square pizzas in one box deal, back in the 90s... this was the best deal in the pizza business, at the time.
I've eaten Little Caesar's since I was a little kid. It's not the best pizza around, but it fills you up just right when you don't have a lot of money. You just gotta know when to get a pizza fresh right out of the oven. Most of the time, their regular large pizzas are already made. They'll hand them to you in as little under a minute. If you really want a freshly made pizza from them, order the Extra Most Bestest Pizza. It'll take some time, but it's worth it.
I love Little Caesar's, it will always be my favorite fast food pizza
I grew up poor. Little Caesars will always have a place in my heart.
I'm so glad you guys did a very positive video about all the good LCs has done. They also give out free pizzas to veterans every years, something that the others don't. The pizza is solid, it's obviously not the best, but it's great value, something that struggling families, single bachelors, schools, etc. really appreciate. There are so many "pizza snobs" droning on about "their local mom and pops store," it makes me sick. Nothing wrong with chain pizza, especially one that gives back to its community.
“Now THATS some crazy bread.”
Omg I hate you weird food history writer lmao
While I don't love Little Ceasar's pizzas, they just have that unique taste/texture/whatever that I get nostalgic for every couple of years.
If I want an actually good pizza, I'll usually just go to my favorite local place. But nothing can really compare to the tasty low quality Little Caesar's pizza.
This was an amazing video, Weird History! Little Caesar's used to have this DELICIOUS bacon stuffed crust pizza, but it was discontinued very quickly. Weird thing is, the Little Caesar's near me closed down after the discontinuation of the bacon stuffed crust. It's cool to see that Little Caesar's still uses their mascot, considering both Pizza Hut and Domino's dropped theirs. Well, Noid makes an appearance now and then, but Donny Domino is only a walkaround character, which I think is a huge shame. Donny was a pretty cool mascot, and I feel like he and Dottie could have been used more.
Their bacon wrapped pan pizza was incredible.
Huge fan of LC since 1989.
I’m in Guatemala right now and Little Ceasars is so popular with locals here!!!!
I'm eating Little Caesars right now. It is really good when you don't have someone in your ear telling you how bad it is.
Whenever I'm feeling like a cheapskate, I order Little Caesars thinking to myself "Pizza is pizza. I'm willing to give up quality for the price"... And then I take my first bite and regret it EVERY TIME. It's just so bad, even factoring in the price. But when I'm hungry, I forget and order it like 4 times a year.
Awesome story. Good to see little Caesars still going strong.
Wow, that's actually a really nice story! Thanks for the upload.
Hey, Pizza Hut was fine dining for kids of the 80s and 90s.
And they served pitchers of beer, so dads loved it too. Or at least the ones in my area did.
too bad the prices are now too high to justify the crappy pizza. $5 I can let it go, now that it is over $7.50 for a "hot n ready" pizza, it's unacceptable
That pretzel pizza is amazing! And i love the lunch combo
Little Ceasars is my favorite, cheapest, and depending on location, really good. There have been patches of bad employees, but usually they don't last long.
I love Little Cesar's affordable menu offerings. It's a good way to provide take out pizza when money's tight.🍕💸
Even if money isn't so tight, the pizza isn't bad (I've paid a lot more for worse). It's not about how much money you make, it's about how much you save.
It's my favorite. The food court at Costco is usually open to the public, and they sell giant pizzas (18" is larger than most places 'extra large' size) for only about $9. I prefer LC's pizza, but Costco's will feed more people.
Little Caesars was so powerful, that after they branched out of being secluded to K-Mart, K-Mart went bankrupt
I actually like the hot and ready pizza. Is it the best pizza? No. But it is decent pizza, now, and for an extremely low price. And those factors are important in the frantic pace people live their lives now. My local Little Caesars is constantly busy.
"I ate 40 pizzas for the past thirty days" is surreal. Someone made a song about that
I remember eating Little Caesars for the first time as a kid inside a K-mart. The pizza was so much better back then.
If you were a skinny skinny kid, that's why. The only way LC (or that Friday "school lunch" pizza if you've ever tried to find it), will ever taste that good again, is f you get your waist < 30" :-)
@@joez.2794 shut up boomer
@@housemana I'm so sorry you were bullied as an XL kid
All the little Caesars inside k marts-you can find em vary rarely here and there have the old pizza style before the rebrand
For those of you who loved it, there is still a Little Caesars Pizza Station at the Kmart store in Upper Tumon, Guam (there are also four successful Kmart stores in the Virgin Islands, but they don't have Little Caesars).
My economics professor said he thought Little Caesar’s was about the best bang for buck franchise you could get after talking to the employees one day and the units they sold just that day alone. Course having it across the street from a college was also a good idea.
It is... I'm good at economics and I also used to work at Domino's. The best bang for your buck is a LC's cheese stuffed crust Extra Most Bestest (you have to ask for the cheese stuffed version). The stuffed crust is way more filling, and doesn't cost much more.
If you live near a Costco, their food court is usually open to the public and they sell a GIANT pizza for only about $9. It's an 18" pizza... compared to a Domino's large, which is 14", and a Domino's extra large, which is 16". If you're a Costco member, they also have very good take and bake pizzas inside the store (more than just cheese or pepperoni options, also 18"), which I find to be better and cheaper than Papa Murphy's.
$5-6 pizza with 0.15 cents worth of product with 98% of the product being dough/crust.
Great job defining All Pizza’s 👏 😂
Two people with no college education, in a time when minimum wage was a dollar, managed to save $10k all on their own in a matter of months.
Times have changed.
Little Caesars never overplays who they are or takes themselves too seriously, they know who and what they are and make no qualms about it, tha'ts why they succeed.
They also use very good cheese and pepperoni, and have low prices. Any company that gives customers a good value, year after year, is going to succeed.
i love Little Ceasar, they are fast, tastes good, and always accessible, When you're sick of burgers or tacos, Little Ceasars is great for a quick pizza pick up along with their crazy bread and chicken wings
For the price, I LOVED Little Caesars. Used to grab a $5 pizza on the way to work when I was on nights. Had to stop eating there though. Took a bite and broke a tooth. Cost me around $450 to get it fixed (no dental insurance). Figured it was a fluke so tried them again and got something, bone or rock, stuck between teeth. Gave them up for good at that point. Not going to risk breaking anymore teeth because they use cheap cornmeal to dust their pans.
Sorry to hear that 😞
Dentist here. Teeth were prolly in a bad condition and hollowed out from cavity. Eventually, anything will break it at that point. It just happened to be lil caesars since you were eating a lot of it at the time.
Yeah dude this can happen from anything overly toasted , the angles can even chip away at your teeth.
I had to get a Cap because of an English Muffin.
That’s not little carsars fault you have poor dental hygiene my guy
FYI, nothing wrong with my teeth. Haven't had cavities since I was a kid. Never had any issues before or since. If the tooth had been bad, the dentist would have pushed for a crown or implant rather than a simple repair.
A+ video!
Great to hear Little Caesar's origin story!
The brief anecdote about the owners paying Rosa Parks’ rent feels like a video unto itself
Yeah I dont want to see that. It'd make me never want to buy one of their pizzas again.
Little Caesar's will forever remind me of school socials and events.
Never saw it in the UK
That Kmart LC's just hit different.... you have been and always will be missed.
True story. I and 3 other work colleagues were in the California desert for about a year and a half building a solar power site.
One day, i had to drive into the closest town, which was tiny, to buy some materials we needed. While i was in buying hardware from the hardware store, i noticed the K mart across the street. Went over and bought 3 hot and now pepperoni pizzas.
When i got back, i only brought one pizza in with me. When my co-workers saw it was little Caesar's, they turned their noses up. But it wasn't long before all 3 were consumed.
The main comment? "I didn't think they were any good, but this *IS* good."
We used to have little Caesar’s pizza parties when I was in 5th grade in 1996. Good times.
I’d love to see history of Subway, Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s, Jersey Mike’s.
Can't forget Quizno's. I pine for a Steakhouse Beef Dip sub.
Quizno's Prime Rib and Peppercorn will always have a place in my heart.
Not sure how the rest of the country is doing, but here in Minnesota, LC is basically dead. I know of at least four locations that closed in the past few years, and only one that might still be open. If they are, I'm going there real soon, not just because this video has made me hungry for crazy bread and pretzel pizza again, but out of a very real fear that the chain could vanish tomorrow (at least from the local area), much as Blimpie's Subs did at around the same time LC started to look a bit anemic.
How did Little Caesar's became...?
the funniest commercials of the 90's and late night crazy bread when i had the munchies is what it think of when i think of Little Caesars
Oh man. Being a 12-year-old back in the early '90s during the great pizza wars. What a magical time to be a kid. God I miss it.
But you just can't beat the convenience of ordering a Little Caesars pizza on the app, driving over, and then being in and out of the building in less than 1 minute thanks to the pizza portal.
But still I'd trade it for a second to go back to the Pizza wars
Almost all privately held companies provide better products and services then major wall street businesses.. never really the other 2 and untill recently little caesar were difficult to locate.. but they will be on my go to places now.
I remembered eating Little Caesars when I was a kid.
Little Caesar’s is my go to when my stepmom doesn’t make dinner or when I’m stoned
Little Caesar's pepperoni pizzas have always been just a step above Domino's and their cardboard crust, but the lunch combo isn't something to scoff at. It's good that the Deep Deep Dish stuck around and wasn't a limited time thing like their pretzel pizza. The staple Crazy Bread and Italian Cheese Breads are still leagues above when you'd find at a different pizza place, and once they nail the dessert pizza, there will be no stopping them.
I couldn't be the only one on here that remembers when their crazy bread had pepperoni in it too!! ..omg...😍😍😍..bring it BACK LC!!!...please!
Little Caesrs was my family's go-to every other weekend. With four kids, it was a great deal. I really love the thick crust more than anything and the mushrooms.
Seeing all of those old timey prices makes me cry.
Yes! The Proper Dude!
Little Caesar's came to my hometown in the late 80's. They had a great special: the Baby Pan! Pan! It was only $2 and very delicious because the cheese and crust were very crispy, there was a little more cheese, four pepperoni slices in each square, and the right amount of marinara sauce. I was hooked on them!
Little Caesars pizza is to pizza as Taco Bell is to Mexican food.
Have you been to TB lately? Their prices are out of control....
My Dad used to get my brothers and I Little Caesar's Pizza when we kids, and didn't feel like cooking anything. Their pizza was delicious in my opinion, but it was their crazy bread and sauce that I just couldn't get enough of! 😋❤️🍕🥖
It’s the dude! 👍
little caesars is one of my favorites.
Little Caesars Pizza Pizza.... sucks sucks
Not any worse than Papa John's or Domino's.
It is nasty msybe it was good back in the day but it is nasty now
@JD 911 that is nasty now but pizza hunt is best or cpk.
@@MsDisneylandlover cpk is probably the worst. But I don't like pizza hut either. Probably Hungry Howie's is the best of the chains.
I remember when little Caesars used to serve pizza out of kmart
You mean, how the became one of the worst pizza makers ever? Because LC really are that bad.
Need a video on Cici’s Pizza. All you can eat for only $2.99! Back in the 90s at least
I remember when you could get a milk carton-sized soda from Little Caesar's.
If you’re from Michigan, one time in your life you have eaten this stuff… was WAY better in the 80s early 90s but just not the same anymore.
Tastebuds/cravings change _significantly_ with BMI, hence most adults' thinking "everything just tasted better" when they were kids.
It's funny watching this as a Detroit local and native. A lot of this is common knowledge here, particularly everything about the Illitches. They're a household name here, along with the Fords (who own the Detroit Lions). When I used to groom dogs, one of my clients was one of the Illitches, don't know who, it was always an assistant that dropped off and picked up, but the tip was ALWAYS nice. Between them and the Fords, they have done a LOT in recent years to rejuvenate the city from what it once was.
My mom loves Crazy Bread, but doesn't care about the sauce. Me and my brothers like slathering the pizza in extra sauce.
In Canada they could could have just called it cheapa cheapa