Business & Tech
Eureka Little Ceaser's is "Hot n' Ready"
The owner of the new store tackled one of the universe's most perplexing questions: which is better, sausage or pepperoni?
Video caption: Gene Dorenkamp, owner of the newly opened Little Ceasers in Eureka, answer an important question. He performed his corporate training in Detroit. Credit: Frank Johnson
The first location of the national pizza company Little Ceaser's, known for it's always-ready to-go options, officially opened in Eureka last week.
It's located on E. Fifth Street in the Schnucks shopping plaza, and the man behind the ovens is long-time Pacific resident Gene Dorenkamp.
Dorenkamp hadn't originally planned to be in the pizza business, but after being laid off from a job of 33 years in the defense industry, he found himself searching for something to do next.
"I was going through the process of looking for jobs and I began looking into franchises," he said.
Dorenkamp landed on Little Ceasers because he believes they have a "great product" and a great model for their franchises. A year and a half after that fateful decision, he is now the owner and operator of his own business.
Getting there wasn't easy, however. Dorenkamp said he had to spend lots weeks training at the company's Detroit headquarters, then going through the bureaucracy of applying for licenses and permits, and finally recruiting his staff.
"The biggest hurdle was training and getting everyone in gear," he said. Dorenkamp has hired around 35 part-time employees and expects to promoting a few up to manger positions soon.
Since opening last Tuesday, Dorenkamp said he has seen a lot of excitement in the community about the business, which features $5 cheese, sausage or pepporoni pizzas that can be picked up at anytime during regular business hours. No calling ahead to order is necessary, he said.
He's also experimenting with his own twist on the brand by offering a slate of specialty pizzas (supreme, three-meat and deep dish) from 4-8 p.m. every day.
The first location of the national pizza company Little Ceaser's, known for it's always-ready to-go options, officially opened in Eureka last week.
It's located on E. Fifth Street in the Schnucks shopping plaza, and the man behind the ovens is long-time Pacific resident Gene Dorenkamp.
Dorenkamp hadn't originally planned to be in the pizza business, but after being laid off from a job of 33 years in the defense industry, he found himself searching for something to do next.
"I was going through the process of looking for jobs and I began looking into franchises," he said.
Dorenkamp landed on Little Ceasers because he believes they have a "great product" and a great model for their franchises. A year and a half after that fateful decision, he is now the owner and operator of his own business.
Getting there wasn't easy, however. Dorenkamp said he had to spend lots weeks training at the company's Detroit headquarters, then going through the bureaucracy of applying for licenses and permits, and finally recruiting his staff.
"The biggest hurdle was training and getting everyone in gear," he said. Dorenkamp has hired around 35 part-time employees and expects to promoting a few up to manger positions soon.
Since opening last Tuesday, Dorenkamp said he has seen a lot of excitement in the community about the business, which features $5 cheese, sausage or pepporoni pizzas that can be picked up at anytime during regular business hours. No calling ahead to order is necessary, he said.
He's also experimenting with his own twist on the brand by offering a slate of specialty pizzas (supreme, three-meat and deep dish) from 4-8 p.m. every day.
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