Little Caesar's return to Cedar Rapids brings crowds, excitement

Jake Kennel came, saw, and so far, has conquered… the Cedar Rapids pizza scene that is.

Kennel, 28, watched with a mix of excitement and relief as around 1,000 people came in and out of the new Little Caesar's at 2210 Edgewood Road SW where Kennel is a co-owner.

“It's been about two years since we first started thinking about it,” Kennel said. “After that long, selling that first pizza was really gratifying.”

After an eight-year enlistment in the Marines, including a deployment in occupied Baghdad, Kennel decided to go into business with his brother-in-law Zach and co-owner of Cedar Rapids' newest pizza franchise, Zach Miller. While Miller, 32, lives and runs his own Little Caesars franchise in Seattle, Kennel moved to Cedar Rapids just four months ago.

“My wife and I were looking for a place to settle down,” Kennel said. “(Cedar Rapids) is great, open and a good place to start raising a family.”

As a veteran, Kennel received discounts on franchise fees and equipment orders from Little Caesars, a company started by a veteran and one that tries to offer former soldiers like Kennel a leg up in starting a business once their commitment to their country has been served.

Tuesday's grand opening began with a ribbon cutting and a visit from the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce and was followed by twelve hours of unrelenting crowds, and thousands of orders of pizza, wings and breadsticks made quick by the location's 53 employees.

Jill Morris, 32, drove from the northeast edge of the city to get her first taste of Little Caesar's since the last Cedar Rapids franchise closed over ten years ago.

“I saw a sign it was opening and I just screamed,” Morris said. “I was so sad when it closed. I'm glad to share one of my favorite pizza's with my kids.”

Angela Williams, 31, came from Marion to get a taste of a pizza that she said was one of the more distinct tastes from childhood.

“It's cheap and it's good,” Williams said. “It's about time they came back. We've been waiting.”