Little Caesars is expanding, and Yorkton is at the top of the list for new locations. The business is looking at locations along Broadway, as well as a franchisee to open up in the city.
Roger Aube, director of operations/development at Little Caesars Canada says that Saskatchewan has been a strong performer for the restaurant chain over the past year, so they began looking at other markets where they could target. He says that the sales in Saskatchewan outperform the national market, so expanding in the province is a priority.
“Yorkton came up clear in our research, being the third largest trading area in Saskatchewan after Saskatoon and Regina. When you look at the family oriented market and community focus, it was really in line with what we were looking for. When we looked at where we wanted to grow, Yorkton came fast and clear as one of the markets that we wanted to get into.”
Broadway has been the main focus for their research, and Aube says that it makes sense as it is the central backbone of the city. Jim Jenkins, real estate manager at Little Caesars Canada says that it’s a matter of convenience, so they want to be in a location where people are going to do other things and quickly run to grab pizza as well. Stores tend to run 1,200-1,500 sq. ft., and he adds that they prefer places where they can work in a drive-thru.
“It goes amazingly with our concept, the drive-thru being hot and ready. I like to brag to my friends that I think we can be a lot faster than McDonalds or Tim Hortons,” Jenkins says.
The hot and ready concept, where pizza is ready to take out right away, is what Aube believes Little Caesars brings to the market that others don’t. That’s also what drives what they’re looking for in real estate, as they find the most success when they’re convenient for consumers who are also doing other things.
“We don’t deliver, we’re not a delivery company. Our niche is that carry-out demographic. Consumers are busy today, and a lot don’t have that 30-60 minutes to wait for a delivery option.”
Aube says they also want to be a part of the community, and hope to work with area schools when it comes to fundraising opportunities or pizza events in their schools.
They want to get in the market as soon as possible. Aube says that a store can open within 5-8 months if the franchisee has a location.
Anyone interested in becoming the local franchisee is invited to visit www.littlecaesars.ca or call 888-822-7981 ext. 127 to talk to the franchise team.
