DETROIT, Mich. — Little Caesars, the restaurant chain that turned a pint-sized plutocrat repeating the word “pizza” into one of the more memorable ad campaigns of the 1980s, is looking to open shop in Belfast, according to a representative.

Speaking from the company’s world headquarters in Detroit, Dan Ducharme, director of franchise development, said Little Caesars Pizza has branches in most large cities around the county but has continued to grow, prompting executives to look at smaller markets.

Despite making a splash in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Little Caesars has been around since 1959. In the last dozen years, Ducharme said the company has focused on making pizzas that are inexpensive and ready in about as long as it takes to get drive-thru fast food. 

The current expansion is focused in the Northeast, he said.

Today there are around a dozen Little Caesars restaurants in Maine, principally along Routes 95 and 295. Ducharme said the operator of branches in Brewer and Waterville might ultimately open a third in Belfast, but the company is seeking other interested parties. Locations are likewise on the table, he said.

“We don’t have the candidate, and sites are fluid,” he said. “Once we find that right candidate is when we start looking at spaces.”

Ethan Andrews can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com