Little Caesars reopened in Williamsport years after it closed, and according to the new owners, its popularity never died.
"It's pretty crazy," Kate Sommerfeld, an owner and co-manager of the franchise, said. "The community has shown great support. They're excited we're here and it's nice to see them all here."
Little Caesars, 2062 Lycoming Creek Road, Suite 6, is owned by Sommerfeld, her parents, Marty and Lori Sommerfeld. Pat and Connie McMillan also are partners, with their son, Jeff, as general manager.
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Aaron Moore, pizza maker, adds pepperoni to a pizza before moving on to the next one in an assembly line.
"It was a family idea," Sommerfeld said. "We kind of decided it was something we wanted to do, a good idea for us to get into."
What separates Little Caesars from other area pizza places is the staff, Sommerfeld said.
"The staff takes pride in what we do," she said. "If we're not happy with the product, we won't sell it."
Fact Box
Little Caesars
2062 Lycoming Creek Road, Suite 6
327-6200
Hours: Sun. to Thur. - 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Fri. to Sat. - 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sommerfeld also said Little Caesars has been voted the best value for the past four years and all of the products are made fresh daily.
What surprised her the most after opening is how the people have come out to support the franchise. During the first week, she said she saw multiple people multiple times.
"I saw one person three times during opening week," she said.
Some people drive hours and have to wait in line to get the pizza, but Sommerfeld said they do it anyway.
Even though the pizza shop opened less than a month ago, she said she already has plans for the future, however far off that may be. She said about 25 employees work there, she said they probably will hire more people in the future.
Sommerfeld said she also would like to expand to another store in the eastern part of the city.
Right now, her goals are more focused on fast service.
"We want to serve every customer in 30 seconds or less," Sommerfeld said. "That's the ultimate goal."
Making a pizza takes about 5 1/2 minutes. Pizza makers stand in a line, each doing a specific task, such as forming the dough or adding the sauce, until the pizza is made and placed in a box. When the customer orders, the pizza is already available. The process is known as "Hot-n-Ready."
One of the most popular items ordered at Little Caesars is the Crazy Bread. Sommerfeld said some people buy six orders at a time. A surprisingly popular order is the Italian Cheese Bread. The Italian Cheese Bread is not part of the "Hot-n-Ready" until 4 p.m., so Sommerfeld said they sometimes have to make 20 orders of it at a time.
The first Little Caesars opened in Garden City, Mich., on May 5, 1959.
Little Caesars is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 327-6200.
