(NEXSTAR) – It’ll still be hot. It’ll still be ready. It’s just going to cost a little more.
After 20 years, Little Caesars is hiking the price of its signature Hot-N-Ready pizza from $5 to $5.55, the brand quietly announced this week.
Little Caesars shared the news Monday, in a press release touting its “new and improved” Hot-N-Ready Classic Pepperoni pizzas, which are also said to be made with 33% more pepperoni than the previous recipe. The pizza’s other ingredients, as well as its heat and readiness, will not be affected by the change, the company claims.
“Change is good when it comes to giving our customers more of what they love, and we’re changing our iconic HOT-N-READY Classic, adding 33% more savory, meaty pepperoni still at the country’s most affordable price,” said Jeff Klein, the chief marketing officer at Little Caesars, in a statement included with the press release.
The new recipe, Little Caesars said, will become a “permanent menu item change.” The $5.55 price tag, however, is described as a limited-time offer at participating restaurants. The brand added that locations in Alaska, Hawaii and California are higher.
Little Caesars began selling its Hot-N-Ready pizzas in 2001, becoming “the first national chain to regularly offer pizzas on-demand for carryout with no preordering,” according to the company. The offering became part of the nationwide menu in 2004.
More recently, Little Caesars launched a Hot-N-Ready online shop in Nov. 2021, featuring clothing, apparel and even home office furnishings inspired by the chain’s signature items.