Can you buy a Little Caesars franchise in Canada?

Little Caesars operates a franchise site for Canada at littlecaesarsfranchise.ca, headed “Own a little Caesars Pizza franchise”. Its main franchise site, franchise.littlecaesars.com, tells anyone seeking franchise opportunities in Canada to visit a separate website. This page reports what the Canadian site publishes. It does not say whether a particular purchase makes sense, and it does not cover buying an existing location from a current owner.

What the Canadian site publishes

The page says Little Caesars has locations in more than 25 countries and territories, including 10 of Canada’s provinces, and that it has aggressive expansion plans in Canada. It names British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as the places it is actively targeting. It also lists a “20K initial franchise fee”, without a currency, and says it offers non-traditional models of 475 to 800 square feet.

Cost and requirements, as the franchisor states them

Under the heading “How Much Does it Cost to Own a Little Caesars?”, the franchisor gives an estimated total investment starting at $426,000, a net worth requirement of $350,000 and a liquid asset requirement of $150,000. It adds that it has partnerships with several financial institutions. The page does not state a currency or what the investment estimate includes, so ask for both in writing. Treat these as the franchisor’s starting points, not a quote for any site.

Before you rely on any of it

Ontario’s Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 requires a franchisor to give a prospective franchisee a disclosure document not less than 14 days before the earlier of signing the franchise agreement or any other agreement relating to the franchise and paying consideration to the franchisor or its associate, subject to exceptions in the Act. The Canadian Franchise Association notes that several provinces have disclosure laws with important differences, so check the province where the store would operate. For the financing side, see Can a franchise purchase be financed?.