Little Caesars Awards Nearly 70% of Headquarters Expansion Contracts to Detroit Companies
69 percent of contracts, more than $56 million, awarded to Detroit-based businesses for construction of new headquarters set to open in summer 2018; 99 percent of contracts awarded to Michigan businesses
Installation begins on pizza slice-shaped glass façade; feature will be a unique architectural attraction on Woodward Avenue
9-story, 235,000 square-foot building provides modern workplace amenities for employees and supports continuation of the company’s incredible global growth
DETROIT – More than $56 million in contracts have been awarded to Detroit-based businesses for construction of the new Little Caesars world headquarters campus expansion on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, future home to 700 Little Caesars employees. The amount represents nearly 70 percent of the total contracts awarded for the project so far and provides a significant boost to the local economy. Further, almost all contracts, 99 percent, have been awarded to Michigan-based businesses.
The $150 million, 9-story, 235,000-square-foot building located at the corner of Woodward Avenue and Columbia Street in The District Detroit will empower the company’s employees, franchisees and suppliers to support the company’s incredible global growth. It will open in summer 2018.
“Since its inception, we wanted this new headquarters to support the rapid growth of Little Caesars and to create economic opportunity for the people and businesses of Detroit, our region and our state,” said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings. “As a Detroit company achieving global growth, we’re committed to a Michigan Made, Detroit Built project that creates significant business opportunities in the place we call home and brings jobs to the local workforce, both on this project and throughout The District Detroit.”
Detroit’s Newest Headquarters Takes Shape, Begins Construction of Pizza-inspired Façade
The building’s Woodward Avenue-facing east façade will be made up of 102 pieces of triangular, folded glass resembling the shape of a slice of pizza, each standing 14-feet tall and weighing nearly 1,000 pounds. Installation of the façade will be completed in mid-January 2018. The work is being done by Michigan-based National Enclosure Company (NEC). The shape of each piece of formed glass pays homage to the signature Little Caesars pizza slice. The distinct shape, in combination with the height of each formed-glass piece, makes the building façade the first of its kind in the world.
“We’re so excited to make our mark on Detroit’s skyline with this impressive building and absolutely unique façade,” said David Scrivano, president and CEO of Little Caesars. “Little Caesars operates in all 50 states and 24 countries and territories. Along with our incredible people, this state-of-the art facility will greatly enable our continued global growth.”
The headquarters will feature an open-air, glass-covered terrace, collaborative workspaces and a fitness center, all surrounded by retail shops and restaurants on the street level. The innovative headquarters campus, including additional space at the Fox office building, will help the company continue to attract, train and retain the top talent and franchisees needed to support its rapid global growth and to serve customers worldwide.
Since 2015, Olympia Development of Michigan and its partners have launched more than a dozen major development projects in Detroit, including Little Caesars Arena and its adjoining office and retail spaces, the Little Caesars world headquarters campus expansion, the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business, infrastructure and public space enhancements, new and enhanced parking, and more.
Commitment to ‘Michigan Made, Detroit Built’
Olympia Development of Michigan has organized a comprehensive effort to ensure the participation of Detroit-based and -headquartered businesses in the building’s construction. At the headquarters expansion site, construction company Brinker-Christman and architectural firm SmithGroupJJR – both Detroit-based businesses – help carry on the commitment to remaining “Michigan Made, Detroit Built” through their leadership on the project. Additional local contractors playing pivotal roles in bringing the project to life include Midwest Steel, Blaze Contracting, Ben Washington and Sons Plumbing, Great Lakes Mechanical and Denn Co.
This expansion to the Little Caesars world headquarters campus is Detroit’s first newly-constructed, multi-story corporate headquarters building in more than a decade and only the seventh since 1950. It’s the largest new construction project to date in the Columbia Street neighborhood, which is also home to the spectacular Fox Theatre, a National Historic Landmark.
About The District Detroit
The District Detroit is one of the largest sports and entertainment developments in the country. Located in the heart of Detroit, this 50-block, mixed-use development led by the Ilitch organization unites eight world-class theaters, five neighborhoods and three professional sports venues in one vibrant, walkable destination for people who want to live, work and play in an exciting urban environment. Home to the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions — The District Detroit represents the greatest density of professional sports teams in one downtown core in the country.
About Little Caesars
Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, Little Caesars® is the largest carryout-only pizza chain in the United States1. Founded in 1959 as a single, family-owned restaurant, Little Caesars is the third largest pizza chain in the world2 with stores in 24 countries and territories worldwide, including in each of the 50 U.S. states. Known for its HOT-N-READY® pizza and famed Crazy Bread®, Little Caesars has been named "Best Value in America" for ten years in a row3. Little Caesars products are made with quality ingredients, like fresh, never frozen, mozzarella and Muenster cheese, dough made fresh daily in the stores and sauce made from fresh-packed, vine-ripened California crushed tomatoes.
An exceptionally high growth company with more than 58 years of experience in the nearly $135 billion worldwide pizza industry, Little Caesars is continually looking for franchisee candidates to join our team in markets around the world. In addition to providing the opportunity for entrepreneurial independence in a franchise system, Little Caesars offers strong brand awareness with one of the most recognized and appealing characters in the country, Little Caesar.
1 Largest carry-out only pizza chain in the US – based on net number of stores in 2016
2 Third largest pizza chain in the world – based on net number of stores in 2016
3 Highest-Rated Chain, Value for the Money" based on a nationwide survey of national quick-service restaurant consumers conducted by Sandelman & Associates 2007 – 2016.