| With all this talk of pizza, the inevitable lengthy discussions will occur: how hard pizza rules, what pizza doesn’t rule so hard, how awful those Joe Flacco Pizza Hut commercials are – and it won’t take too long to come to the question “What the f**k happened to Little Caesar’s?”
Years ago, Little Caesar’s was everywhere. Wikipedia sez there were over 5,000 locations nationwide; their presence was about as competitive as Pizza Hut and Domino’s in this region. But at this point, Little Caesar’s operations in the area are limited to K-Marts, which don’t really exist, and one location off of the top of my head on York Rd. near Towson (if it’s still there). Their commercials are non-existent in this region anymore, whereas once Little Caesar’s produced some of the absolute best commercials ever seen (more on that in a sec). And granted, their pizza was never the best but $7.99 for two pizzas and crazy bread? Get OUT. |
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Call it a general economic failure, call it whatever it is, but Little Caesar’s – a Michigan (ah, there’s the reason they went belly up) based franchise started in the late 50s – is poised for a comeback. If Sonic in the Baltimore / MD area can air national TV spots and generate the kind of Food Based Bloodthirst (thanks almost entirely to Twitter) that only Americans can have, then so can a cheaper-than-hell-but-still-pretty-good pizza franchise.
How so? Getting back to the earlier statement: Little Caesar’s made some of the greatest commercials ever in the 1990s. And if you don’t think that this can make an impact on sales, you haven’t been paying attention to Old Spice in the past few months.
Need some proof? Check out this playlist of a few of their best (the first is a personal favorite):
Recently, Little Caesar’s has been running a “Hot N’ Ready” campaign – with premade large pizzas ready as soon as they’re ordered – and has done away with their “Pizza! Pizza!” two for one staple. The commercials aren’t nearly as awesome… actually they kind of suck. But whoever the guy or girl was that penned the majority of the commercials on that playlist – HIRE THEM AGAIN AND RIDE YOUR WAY BACK TO BALTIMORE, LITTLE CAESAR’S!!
There are a couple of locations surviving in Harford County, but I believe their general decline has to do with the rise of burrito shops.
You’ve got to be stoned to really like Little Caesar’s, and stoners just love Chipotle more.
Little Caesar’s new! Burrito Pizza! It’ll make your mouth say…
The Little Caesar’s on York Road is still kickin’. Right next to the Party City and across the street from Wells Liquors. A trifecta of win, IMO. I’m craving some crazy bread now….
“You’ve got to be stoned to really like Little Caesar’s, and stoners just love Chipotle more.”
What? I mean, I love Chipotle but … false.
i would eat a pizza burrito any day of the week.
Yes, I was going to mention the Bel Air one- across from the now defunct C-Mart (even more obscure than K-Mart).
Oh, and it makes me think of being stoned in high school, so now everything’s connected.