Plans are now under way for the opening of a Little Caesars Hot-N-Ready pizza store in the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre, the first of three new locations in the franchise that already has restaurants in Cross Roads and Manor Centre in Kingston, and Portmore in St Catherine.

Little Caesars Transport Centre is slated to be opened by the second week of November.

Restaurant Associates Marketing Manager Sabrina McDonald Radcliffe told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that construction is also under way for Little Caesars UWI, Mona, and Negril in Westmoreland, with expected completion by year-end.

“So we are going to be spreading the hot-n-ready magic across the island over the next year because we want to bring value and convenience to as many Jamaicans as possible,” she said.

According to McDonald Radcliffe, Little Caesars Transport Centre, which spans 1,077 square feet of space, was chosen because of its convenient location as well as the demography of individuals using the facility. It will target students, employees and commuters.

“Our brand of pizza is built on value and convenience. Value in the sense that we are the lowest-priced pizza in the market; compared to everybody else we are roughly 30 per cent of their selling prices for large pizzas. Then we have the promise of hot-n-ready, which is convenient; you don’t have to call or wait in line for a couple of our products,” McDonald Radcliffe told the Business Observer.

“The transport centre is a place for people on the go and they crave convenient foods that are filling and delicious and at prices they can afford,” she added.

Little Caesars Transport Centre will be employing approximately 15 individuals to manage the operation.

Chief Executive Officer Richard Lake hopes to open 10 Popeye’s and Little Caesars franchises across the country by year-end. Currently Restaurant Associates operates Popeye’s locations in Cross Roads, on Constant Spring Road and Manor Park in Kingston, one in Portmore, St Catherine, and another in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.

With the addition of Little Caesars UWI, Mona and Negril, the company will have six pizza franchises operational by year-end. Additional staff from the two upcoming operations are anticipated to total 50 individuals.

Lake reckons that the expansion will bring a total of 300 additionally employed Jamaicans. The CEO, however, recently called on the Government to provide private sector businesses with incentives to improve and increase the level of training for their staff as many recruits were unable to pass the proficiency tests that required at the restaurants.

The company hopes that the hot-n-ready concept of Little Caesars, in addition to co-branding it with Popeye’s at the Manor Park branch, will assist in replicating the success of the restaurant chain in its home town Michigan, United States.