Little Caesars Debuts in India with All-Vegetarian Menu

The world’s third-largest pizza chain, Little Caesars, has forayed in India with two stores in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The recent launch is part of its ambitious plan to grow rapidly in the Indian market with its Indianized menu and consumer-focused strategies.

Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars was founded in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant and has grown with stores operating across 25 countries and territories worldwide.

Known for its Hot-n-Ready pizza and famed crazy bread, the brand has rolled out its vegetarian menu in the Indian market and is currently focused on the dine-in format of QSR restaurants. “Unlike our delivery-only outlets in the US, we have modified our strategy in India keeping in mind the market dynamics and preferences. In fact, we researched the Indian QSR market for the last three years to come up with the right balance of spices and menu as per local preferences,” highlighted Paula Vissing, Senior Vice President, International, Little Caesars.

Known for its affordable pizza, the company highlights convenience and value-for-money as their major USPs against the competition. The company offers standard 10-inch Hot-n-Ready pizza starting from just Rs 159 on all days. The innovative Hot-n-Ready concept allows customers to simply stop in and carry out a selection of freshly made pizza and side items without waiting or ordering ahead. The brand, which offers pizzas only in a 10-inch size, has been named ‘Best Value in America,’ for 12 consecutive years.

Outlining the rationale behind first entering in Ahmedabad, Ashok Lal, Regional Managing Director, EMEA/AP, Little Caesars, said, “One of the reasons for starting from Ahmedabad is that people here love food, specifically American food and cheese. Moreover, people here are well-traveled, exposed to international cuisines and love to experiment. So a combination of these makes Ahmedabad a good choice for us. While we deliver perfect consumer experience in Gujarat, we will add the non-vegetarian menu as we enter deep into the Indian market.”

The first two Little Caesars restaurants are owned and operated by a franchisee, Phoenix Nexus Enterprise, managed by Nandish Patel who also owns several Little Caesars Pizza restaurants in five states of the US. The brand has aggressive plans to continue growth throughout India and is actively seeking interested entrepreneurs eager to join a world-famous pizza brand.