Second Career Creates Growth Opportunities in Boston and Sacramento
Entrepreneurs Open Fourth Store in Two-and-a-Half Years
BOSTON – Jared Beal and Mark Payne, financial auditors who invested their savings to become Little Caesars franchisees, today opened their first Little Caesars store in the Boston area located at 7 Hilldale Avenue in Haverhill. “As financial consultants we were experienced in analyzing balance sheets,” said Payne. “Every way we looked at the Little Caesars business model we found the same result; a business opportunity that motivated us to make a career change.”
Former coworkers at a leading accounting firm, Beal, 29, and Payne, 32, expect to open their second Boston Little Caesars store at 24 Union Street in Lynn on June 9, 2008. The business partners already have three stores open in Sacramento, with one under construction. By the end of 2008, they plan to have six Little Caesars stores total.
In addition to building their business in the Sacramento market, the business partners were looking for more growth opportunities, and found them in Boston. “Boston is a great pizza market and we’re excited to be opening two stores here in as many weeks,” said Beal who will be moving to Boston. “We believe Boston pizza lovers will really appreciate the industry-leading value, quality and convenience Little Caesars provides. Families are working hard to stretch their budgets and their time, and we look forward to offering a large, fresh, pepperoni pizza that’s ready when Boston consumers are, with no waiting or need to call ahead.”
Some of the menu items to be featured in the stores include HOT-N-READY® Pizza, Crazy Bread®, Caesar Wings® and Caesar Dips®.
“Becoming entrepreneurs was definitely a transition for us,” said Payne. “However, with the simple operating model, training and ongoing support from the corporate office, it’s been very rewarding for us and our families even though the economy has become more challenged.”
To maintain its continued growth, Little Caesars supports franchisees with strong processes and a proven system that includes: ongoing training and support, architectural services to help with store design and construction, preferred lenders to assist with financing, the ongoing research and development of new products, and effective marketing programs and support.
Beal and Payne will partner with Chris Elwell, 28, Jared’s brother-in-law and a former loan administrator at a credit union, and Rocky Jagir, 23, a former investment banker, who will both help run the Boston stores.
“Jared and Mark have a strong team, and they’re looking forward to providing more value to more people in the Boston area,” said Bob Mazziotti, senior vice president of franchise development, Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. “Little Caesars has been in business for nearly 50 years, and remains well-positioned today in this competitive market segment.”
Little Caesars also has a long history of giving back to the communities in which it does business, and Beal and Payne plan to make a difference in Boston by bringing the Little Caesars Love Kitchen to the area.
The Little Caesars Love Kitchen, a pizza kitchen on wheels that travels the nation providing hot pizza meals to the homeless, disaster survivors and rescue workers, made a difference for more than 15,000 people in 60 locations in 2007. Since its inception in 1985, the Little Caesars Love Kitchen has provided meals to more than two million people.
In one of the largest U.S. quick serve restaurant research studies in 2007, Little Caesars was named for the first time the “best value for the money” of all quick serve restaurant chains. Sandelman & Associates’ Quick-Track® research study tracks key consumer behavioral and attitudinal measures for all major fast-food chains. Surveys were conducted among more than 84,000 quick service restaurant customers in 70 major markets across the U.S. Little Caesars was also named highest rated pizza chain for “Convenience of Locations” and “Speed of Service.”
About Little Caesars
Little Caesars Pizza founders Michael and Marian Ilitch opened their first restaurant in Garden City, Michigan in 1959. Little Caesars built more stores in the U.S. in 2007 than any other pizza chain and today is the largest carry-out chain internationally with restaurants on five continents. Little Caesars is growing in prime markets across the country, and is offering strong franchisee candidates an opportunity for independence with a proven system. In addition, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized characters in the country, Little Caesar, that appeals to both adults and children.
In addition to Little Caesars Pizza, Ilitch companies in the food, sports and entertainment industries include – the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, Uptown Entertainment, Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program, and a variety of venues within these entities. Marian Ilitch also owns MotorCity Casino Hotel.
For more information about Little Caesars, available franchise opportunities and markets, and the Little Caesars Love Kitchen, visit www.LittleCaesars.com or call 1.800.553.5776.
