Little Caesars Becomes First Major Pizza Chain To Offer Plant-Based Pepperoni In U.S.

In this house, we respect Little Caesars. We revere the cheapo Hot-N-Ready pickup. We know that it's a perfectly good, if unassuming, pizza at a perfectly good price. In 2019, we (my dog and I) celebrated Little Caesars' entrance into the plant-based meat topping sphere when the brand debuted Impossible Sausage. And today, we celebrate Little Caesars' newest meatless offering: plant-based pepperoni. According to a press release sent to The Takeout, the chain is launching the Planteroni Pizza, made with Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni, in many of its stores across the United States starting today.

Per the release, the new pizza option will be available at Little Caesars locations in the cities and suburbs of Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon, and the chain's hometown of Detroit. (Bummer for those of us in Chicago, The Takeout's home base.) Customers can order an $8 Slices-N-Sticks meal (half Planteroni Pizza, half breadsticks), a regular Planteroni Pizza for $8.49, or any custom pizza topped with Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni.

Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni is reportedly the first pepperoni alternative on the market to be made with pea protein, not soy. The brand writes that the plant-based pepperoni "delivers an authentic, bold pepperoni taste," thanks to the addition of fresh spices including whole pieces of fennel, cracked black pepper, garlic, and paprika. The brand adds that Little Caesars is now the first national pizza chain to offer plant-based pepperoni so broadly in the United States. (Other major chains have launched similar products in outside of the U.S., including a plant-based line from Dominos Australia.)

Customers can order their Planteroni Pizza for delivery using the Little Caesars app, or pre-pay and collect their order using the brand's heated, self-service Pizza Portal pickup at any participating Little Caesars location.