Little Caesars has broken ground on its new $150 million, nine-story, 234,000-square-foot world headquarters expansion, to be built in The District Detroit. Twenty-seven years after moving its headquarters from the suburbs to Detroit’s Fox Office Center in the heart of downtown, Little Caesars is more than doubling the size of its current campus in Detroit to accommodate the company’s rapid global growth and hiring.
“This remarkable building, with its one-of-a-kind architecture, will be a shining example of what’s possible in our city,” said Christopher Ilitch, President and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. “Today’s groundbreaking represents the next chapter of global growth for an iconic Detroit brand, founded by my parents, Mike and Marian Ilitch, in 1959 with a single store. My hope is that our growth, commitment and continued investment in our community and its people will serve as a catalyst for others to call Detroit and Michigan their home.”
“Building the new Little Caesars world headquarters in downtown Detroit is another example of the Ilitch family’s commitment to our city’s future,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “It’s great to see Detroit-based companies taking the lead on this major project, which will result in employment opportunities for hundreds of our residents.”
Expected to be complete in 2018, this new expansion to the Little Caesars world headquarters campus is Detroit’s first newly constructed corporate headquarters building in more than a decade and only the seventh since 1950. This state-of-the-art headquarters campus will create a collaborative workspace that will help the company continue to attract, train and retain the top talent and franchisees needed to continue its rapid growth and better serve customers around the world. The new space will provide the most modern infrastructure and technologies, and world-class amenities to foster collaboration, innovation and connectivity.
“Mike and Marian Ilitch, the founders and owners of Little Caesars Pizza, work hard to create a culture of opportunity in our organization,” said David Scrivano, President and CEO of Little Caesars. “Today, as we break ground on an exciting new development that will anchor the Columbia Street neighborhood of The District Detroit, we’re excited to continue our longstanding commitment to the people that have helped make a single Little Caesars pizza shop into one of the world’s largest pizza chains.”
The new headquarters’ design and workplace amenities were determined by collaborative work groups of employees and architects to ensure a flexible work environment that results in employee engagement, optimal communication and heightened productivity. Anticipated features include:
- One of a kind, formed-glass façade in the shape of 14-foot tall pizza slices
- Glass-covered, open air terrace and “pizza garden” with vegetables and herbs
- Two-story lobby connected to a new Welcome Center
- Screening room and 425-seat training room
- Fitness center
- Retail and dining
- State of the art training facilities for franchisees, crew and employees
- Innovation kitchens (quadruples the size of current facilities)
Rapid Global Growth
Since moving to the Fox Office Center in 1989, Little Caesars has experienced incredible growth and now needs expanded, new workspace that meets the evolving needs of employees and the business. This expansion to the Little Caesars world headquarters campus will be The District Detroit’s largest new construction to date in the Columbia Street neighborhood, which is also home to the Fox Theatre, a National Historic Landmark.
Olympia Development of Michigan has organized a comprehensive effort to ensure the participation of Detroit-based and -headquartered businesses in construction of the new Little Caesars world headquarters. The Michigan Made, Detroit Built project is led by Brinker-Christman, a Detroit-based company as construction manager, and Detroit-based architect, SmithGroupJJR. To date The District Detroit has awarded more than $315 million in contracts (nearly 60 %) to Detroit businesses and more than $500 million in contracts (more than 90 %) to Michigan businesses.
The District Detroit
Located in the heart of downtown Detroit, the District Detroit will be made up of a dynamic mix of sports and entertainment venues, including six world-class theaters and three multi-use sports venues including the new Little Caesars Arena – home to the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Lions. The District Detroit will also feature residential, office and retail developments that connect these venues into one contiguous, walkable area.
Data from the University of Michigan demonstrates that The District Detroit will ultimately account for an impact of more than $2 billion by 2020 and create 12,500 construction and construction-related jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs. More than $100 million in income from the Little Caesars Arena alone is expected for Detroit residents, with significant additional income to be created through future private development.
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