Michael Ilitch is a proven leader in the restaurant, sports and entertainment businesses. Along with his wife Marian, he grew one Little Caesars pizza restaurant into an international chain with restaurants on five continents. In 1959, the first Little Caesars restaurant opened in Garden City, Michigan – a suburb of Detroit. The success of that restaurant and those that followed was built upon the exceptional quality and value of the Little Caesars menu and Ilitch’s marketing savvy and imaginative ideas in production.
In tandem with Little Caesars restaurants, Ilitch developed Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, a company that supplied all Little Caesars restaurants with fresh ingredients and other essential supplies. Blue Line now services a number of customers outside the Little Caesars network and is the fifth largest food service distribution company in the country.
Ilitch is an avid sports fan, and in 1982, he and Marian purchased the struggling Detroit Red Wings professional hockey franchise and turned that team into a Stanley Cup champion. At the time of the purchase, the team was known as the “Dead Wings” and interest in hockey in Detroit was at an all-time low. After winning eight divisional championships, four President’s Trophies (for the season best record among all NHL teams), four Campbell Bowls and three Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, and 2002, Detroit is now passionately known as “Hockeytown” and is the envy of all cities where hockey is played. The Red Wings are consistently ranked among the most valuable franchises in the NHL and the percent of capacity at its Joe Louis Arena is the highest among all hockey teams.
Also in 1982, Ilitch purchased Olympia Entertainment which manages several restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, and properties and has become a successful business venture. Hockeytown Café, which opened in 1999 and is managed by Olympia Entertainment, is recognized as one of the top sports bars in the country.
The Ilitches really began their investment in Detroit when they purchased the neglected Fox Theatre in 1987 and restored it to its original 1928 splendor. Many thought it was impossible to revive a business in downtown Detroit, but since the theatre’s re-opening in 1988, it is one of the top grossing theatres of its size and was named the number one top grossing theatre in North America for the year 2002 by Pollstar Magazine.
The purchase and subsequent renovation of the adjacent Fox Office Centre afforded the Ilitches the opportunity to move their suburban staff into the renovated structure in 1989 and establish a new World Headquarters for Little Caesars in downtown Detroit.
When Ilitch purchased the Detroit Tigers in 1992, it was for him the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. His link to the Tigers dates back to his youth when he was scouted by the Tigers while playing baseball at Detroit Cooley High School. After serving four years in the U.S. Marines, Ilitch signed with the Tigers and played in their farm system for three years until a knee injury ended his hopes of making it to the big league. Along with the purchase of the Tigers, Ilitch needed to address the issue of building a new stadium to replace the outdated ballpark where the team had played since 1912. The new Comerica Park opened in 2000 with the majority of funding supplied by Ilitch.
Since the presence of the Ilitch-owned businesses in downtown Detroit, several other investors have followed. Additional restored theatres and restaurants have opened and the Detroit Lions have built a new football field (Ford Field) next to the Tigers’ Comerica Park. Olympia Development, established in 1996 by Ilitch to promote development in Detroit, played a significant role in bringing to fruition the side-by-side stadiums.
As the Ilitch-owned businesses have grown in number, size and complexity, Ilitch Holdings was formed in 1999 to provide professional and technical services to their primary business interests in the food, sports and entertainment industries. Included are: Little Caesar Enterprises, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Champion Foods, Little Caesars Pizza Kits Fundraising Program, Olympia Entertainment, Uptown Entertainment, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and Olympia Development. The combined revenues of Ilitch Holdings exceeded $1.6 billion in 2006.
Though successful beyond his wildest dreams, Ilitch has never lost sight of his own early struggles or the hardships of others. He is a deeply committed community leader. His most evident philanthropic effort is the Little Caesars Love Kitchen, established in 1985. This restaurant on wheels has traveled the country to feed the hungry and assist with food provisions during national disasters – most recently helping the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The program has been recognized by former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, and has served more than 1.5 million individuals in the United States and Canada.
The Little Caesars Amateur Hockey Program, established by Ilitch in 1968, has provided opportunities for tens of thousands of youngsters over the years. Not only has it paved the way for a number of extremely talented players to make it to the NHL, it has helped develop character on and off the ice for those who have participated in the program.
Additionally, Ilitch Charities for Children was founded in 2000 as a non-profit foundation dedicated to improving the lives of children in the areas of health, education and recreation.
Ilitch has received a myriad of awards for community and humanitarian efforts as well as business and sports successes. He was inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame (2003), the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame (2004) and the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). As a first generation American of Macedonian heritage, he was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1997 which pays tribute to the ancestry groups that comprise America’s unique cultural mosaic and recognizes individuals who are shining examples of the American Dream.