LITTLE CAESARS FOUNDERS NAMED TO THE INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME

LITTLE CAESARS FOUNDERS NAMED TO THE INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME 

The International Franchise Association (IFA) announced that Mike and Marian Ilitch, founders and owners of Little Caesars Pizza, will be named to the IFA Hall of Fame, the association’s highest honor.

The Hall of Fame Award is the oldest and most prestigious award conferred by the IFA and is presented to an IFA member who exemplifies the best of franchising and has made significant contributions to the advancement of franchising and the franchising community. Formal presentation of this award will occur during the association’s 56^th Annual Convention, Feb. 20-23, 2016, in San Antonio, Texas.

“There is no doubt that Mike and Marian Ilitch are deserving of this award. They have made tremendous contributions to the advancement of franchising and the franchising community,” said IFA Chair Melanie Bergeron, CFE, chairwoman of the board of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, International. “At the same time, they have worked tirelessly on behalf of their hometown of Detroit, which continues to benefit from their involvement and commitment.”

Legacy of Innovation
Innovation has been central to Little Caesars success since Mike and Marian opened their first restaurant in suburban Detroit in 1959. Through hard work, dedication and ongoing innovation, their restaurant flourished and is now the world’s largest carry-out only pizza chain with franchise locations in all 50 states and 18 international markets.

Little Caesars long history of innovation includes pioneering a two-for-one pizza deal later known as Pizza!Pizza!®, introducing the revolutionary $5 HOT-N-READY concept, inventing a conveyor oven specially designed to bake pizza and creating unique products like Crazy Bread®. More recently, Little Caesars was also the first national chain to introduce Detroit-style deep dish pizza (DEEP!DEEP! Dish), a pretzel crust pizza and a bacon wrapped pizza to its menu nationwide.

Leaders in Franchising

Little Caesars spirit of innovation also extends to franchising. Mike and Marian began growing their business by franchising in 1962, just three years after Little Caesars was founded. Through the years, the chain built stores where pizza had never been served before, such as in a sports arena, college dormitory, military base and hospital – many of these long before the competition. Innovation has helped propel Little Caesars to be ranked best in franchising success among all pizza chains[1], and among the most successful of all franchise brands[2].

Champions for Detroit

When the company was rapidly expanding in the late 1980s, Mike and Marian moved their world headquarters to Detroit during a time when many companies were moving out. This bold move was a catalyst for the early rebirth of Detroit and the amazing progress in the city that is still underway today.

Success in the pizza industry afforded them the opportunity to purchase the Detroit Red Wings hockey franchise and to turn the struggling club into a championship team. Mike also realized a lifelong dream of becoming part of the Detroit Tigers baseball franchise when he purchased the team in 1992 and opened Comerica Park, the team’s new home, in 2000.

Recognizing the amazing pride sports and entertainment bring the people of Detroit and Michigan, Mike and Marian’s organization is now executing their vision for a vibrant sports and entertainment district in Detroit. This 50-block development called The District Detroit is well underway with construction of the new Detroit Events Center – future home of the Detroit Red Wings and much more. Multiple other office, residential and retail projects are in progress, including a new Little Caesars Global Resource Center, expanding the company’s headquarters campus in Detroit.

At the heart of Little Caesars philosophy is a deep commitment to its franchisees, colleagues, suppliers and community members. In 1985, the company established the Little Caesars Love Kitchen, a big-rig pizza kitchen on wheels that feeds the homeless and hungry and also victims of national disasters. The program has fed over 3 million people. In 2006, Mike, a former Marine, founded the Little Caesars Veteran Program to provide honorably discharged veterans with a business opportunity when they transition from the service or seek a career change. Additionally, Mike and Marian established Ilitch Charities in 2000, a nonprofit organization with a focus on human services, community development, education and recreation.

Mike and Marian are widely applauded philanthropists. They have received a myriad of honors for their business achievements and charitable efforts. Most recently, Detroit’s Wayne State University announced its business school would be renamed the Mike Ilitch School of Business after the couple gifted the university $40 million, plus use of land, to build a new business school facility in downtown Detroit within The District Detroit development.

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About the International Franchise Association

Celebrating 55 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 780,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.9 million direct jobs, $890 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.