Pizza wars escalate as Little Caesars opens 2nd new Dayton-area restaurant in 5 months

The Miami Valley’s pizza war escalated further on Thursday, Oct. 18 with the opening of another restaurant on a well-traveled portion of Ohio 48, as a recent flurry of new-store openings more than compensates for a handful of recent pizza-shop closings.

This time it was Little Caesars, which opened its second new Dayton-area restaurant in the last five months yesterday, Oct. 18, at 832 S. Main St. (Ohio 48) in Centerville, according to Frank J. Sanchez, CEO of Apple Dough LLC, a franchisee for Little Caesars restaurants in the region.

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“We have a drive-through on the north side of the building where you can grab hot-and-ready items or pick up your called-ahead order,” Sanchez told this news outlet.

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The newest Little Caesars occupies space that previously housed Papa Murphy’s Pizza. Sanchez also oversees a Little Caesars in Richmond, Ind. and three in Michigan, and in May, he opened a new location at 1892 S. Maple Ave. in Fairborn. The new location “is performing well,” Sanchez said.

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A week after the Fairborn restaurant opened May 15, however, a Little Caesars store at 718 North Heincke Road in Miamisburg closed permanently. Sanchez said the Miamisburg restaurant, which had opened in 2012, had experienced slow sales.

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The new Centerville location will create about 20 jobs, and the store is still hiring, Sanchez said. Interested persons can apply at www.cpayrollco.com/appledough and select the Centerville, OH location, Sanchez said.

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The opening comes just weeks after one of Little Caesars national pizza chain competitors, Pizza Hut, opened new franchise locations in Beavercreek and Kettering, and two days after PIzza Hut confirmed another new location coming to Wayne Avenue in Dayton. The region has experienced a surge of new pizza options in recent years, accompanied by a handful of closings.

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The new Little Caesars restaurant’s hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. The store’s phone number is (937) 979-1010.

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