[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S4929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION OF LITTLE CAESARS ENTERPRISES

 Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 40th 
birthday of Little Caesars Enterprises, an extraordinary company 
headquartered in my home state of Michigan and my hometown of Detroit.
  It is not possible to talk about Little Caesars without recognizing 
the efforts of the founders of the company, Mike and Marian Ilitch. 
Mike and Marian are not only fine examples of entrepreneurship. They 
exemplify the American Dream itself. These two first-generation 
Americans, both of Macedonian descent, opened their first Little 
Caesars restaurant in Garden City, Michigan on May 8, 1959. After only 
three years, they sold their first Little Caesars franchise. The 
company became an international enterprise in 1969, with the opening of 
its first restaurant in Canada. By 1987, Little Caesars restaurants 
could be found in all 50 states. Today, Little Caesars' markets include 
the U.S., Canada, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, South Korea, Honduras, 
Dominican Republic, Turkey, the Philippines, Ecuador, Aruba and Egypt.
  The Ilitch family and the employees of Little Caesars have 
demonstrated a deep commitment to the City of Detroit. Several years 
ago, many people characterized the decision to move Little Caesars' 
headquarters to downtown Detroit was ``an act of faith.'' Today, other 
companies are following in Little Caesars footsteps and the City of 
Detroit's business climate is truly on the rebound. Throughout the 
years, Little Caesars has sponsored youth sports, especially hockey, 
and given generously to charitable causes. One of the most notable 
charitable endeavors supported by Little Caesars is the Little Caesars 
Love Kitchen Foundation, a mobile pizza restaurant which has fed more 
than 1.2 million people since it was created in 1985. The Love Kitchen 
Foundation has been recognized by Presidents Clinton, Bush and Reagan 
for its service to those in need.
  Many people credit the success of Little Caesars to its ``buy one, 
get one free'' concept. Others say its the creative, witty advertising. 
But anyone who knows Mike and Marian Ilitch knows that Little Caesars 
is truly a labor of love, and that they are at the heart of their 
company's success. And if the Ilitches are the heart and soul of Little 
Caesars, the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have worked for 
the company or who have owned a Little Caesars franchise have been its 
backbone. Those employees have helped to make Little Caesars the 
dynamic, successful enterprise it is today.
  Mr. President, I know my colleagues join me in offering 
congratulations and best wishes for continuing success to Mike and 
Marian Ilitch, their family, and the entire Little Caesars organization 
as they celebrate the company's 40th birthday.

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