What La Cesar pizzeria does

La Cesar Pizzeria is a privately held Chinese pizza restaurant chain headquartered in Shenzhen, founded in 2009. The company pioneered durian pizza in 2010, a category it has dominated as the certified "Durian Pizza Pioneer" by Frost & Sullivan in 2022, and now operates approximately 200 directly-managed stores across 12 cities including Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Foshan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shantou, Zhaoqing, Nanning, and Hong Kong. Its product portfolio centers on a durian pizza line (using premium A-grade fruit from Malaysia and Thailand, flash-frozen at -30°C), a classic pizza series, and supplementary items (pasta, chicken, steaks, beverages), with extension into themed retail products and durian festival merchandise.

The company has built a proprietary digital ecosystem comprising a self-developed Store Operations System (SOS), eHR, WMS, eLearning, BI, and an independent cloud computing subsidiary ("Jia Cloud Computing"), with 8 software copyrights. The company claims industry-first full system connectivity across its restaurant stack, with data integration to Meituan and Ele.me delivery platforms and a WeChat mini-program membership base exceeding 8.5 million registered users. Cumulative digital investment is reported at approximately ¥100 million.

The revenue model historically relies on direct restaurant sales, with a franchise program launching in 2025 that introduces three store tiers (Basic ¥70-80万, Standard ¥90-100万, Flagship ¥120-150万 construction costs), a one-time brand usage fee of ¥129,800, plus ongoing royalties of 5% of revenue, 2% advertising fund, and ¥850/month system and delivery operations fees. The primary customer segments are urban professionals, durian enthusiasts, and families with children, the latter served through birthday party hosting, pizza-making workshops ("Pizza Little School"), themed stores, and rotating co-branded kids' meal sets.

Name

La Cesar pizzeria

Legal name

深圳市乐凯撒比萨餐饮管理有限公司

Website

https://lacesar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Cesar Pizzeria is a Shenzhen-headquartered Chinese pizza chain that pioneered durian pizza in 2010 and operates ~200 directly-managed stores across 12 cities, serving urban families and young professionals with a proprietary digital ecosystem and 8.5M+ mini-program members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Pizza Restaurant Chain

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Pizza Fast Casual (THAFABAB)

Keywords

• Pizza restaurant chain
• Durian pizza
• Casual dining
• Western cuisine China
• Restaurant franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Shenzhen

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fees including brand usage fee (¥129,800), development/site selection fee (¥30,000), training fee (¥30,000), security deposit (¥30,000), store design fee (¥30,000+), and engineering supervision fee (¥8,000)
2. Royalty and Marketing Fees: Ongoing fees calculated as percentage of store revenue: 5% franchise management fee and 2% advertising fund, plus ¥850 monthly system fee and ¥850 monthly delivery operation fee
3. Direct Restaurant Sales: Revenue from directly operated restaurant locations selling pizzas, pasta, chicken, steaks, wings, beverages, and durian products to end consumers
4. Durian Retail Products: Retail frozen durian pulp and durian merchandise sold during annual Durian Festival and through stores

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Cesar Pizzeria operates a chain of casual-dining pizza restaurants in China, founded in 2009 and recognized for pioneering the durian pizza in 2010. The company sells pizzas, pasta, snacks, beverages, and durian-based retail products directly to consumers through nearly 200 directly-managed stores across 12 Chinese cities, supplemented by a franchise program and proprietary digital ordering and management systems.

Product overview

La Cesar Pizza operates a chain of pizza restaurants in China with its flagship product being the durian pizza, which it pioneered in 2010. The company offers core pizza products in three main lines (Durian Pizza Series, Classic Pizza Series, Meat/Pasta/Snacks, and Beverages), complemented by themed store concepts (Camping, Durian Club, Milestone stores), children's services (birthday parties, pizza school, children's meal sets), and durian retail products. The business model combines physical restaurant operations with digital ordering integration (Meituan, Ele.me), a franchise program with three store tiers, and a proprietary digital ecosystem for operational management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Durian Pizza Series (榴莲披萨系列) Signature pizza line featuring three premium durian varieties (Jin Zhen/Gold Bishop, Sultan King, Musang King) on thin hand-stretched crust, positioned as the brand's flagship offering for consumers seeking authentic durian-based pizza.
• Classic Pizza Series (经典披萨系列) Traditional non-durian pizza flavors such as eel pizza (蒲烧鳗鱼披萨) and mango chicken pizza (香芒醉鸡披萨), serving consumers seeking conventional Western-style pizza options.
• Meat, Pasta & Snacks (肉食/意面/小吃) Supplementary food items including French roast chicken, steaks, chicken wings, and Bolognese pasta, expanding menu depth beyond pizza for dine-in consumers.
• Beverages (饮品) Drink offerings including avocado milkshake, mango pomelo sago, passion fruit drink, and hand-shaken lemon tea, sold alongside food items in stores.
• Durian Retail Products (榴莲零售) Retail frozen durian pulp and durian merchandise sold to consumers through stores and during the annual Durian Festival, leveraging the brand's premium Malaysian and Thai durian supply chain.
• Franchise Program (特许经营) Three-tier franchise offering (Basic, Standard, Flagship store formats) for aspiring entrepreneurs and investors, with one-time franchise fees, ongoing royalties, and a comprehensive support package covering site selection, training, supply chain, operations, and digital systems.
• Children's Birthday Party Service (儿童生日会) Reservation-based birthday celebration service at La Cesar stores featuring decorative ambiance, pizza and food, and birthday gifts for children of consumer families.
• Pizza Little School (披萨小学堂) Children's pizza-making workshop where trained pizza masters teach children hands-on pizza preparation, sold as a paid experiential activity to families visiting stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ stores operated directly before franchising model
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 熊熊乐园 (Bobo Bear Park)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023June-August 2023 crossover collaboration launching Bobo Bear Park themed family meal sets with toys and promotional items targeting children and families.
• 壹基金 (One Foundation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017La Cesar became a public welfare partner of One Foundation in 2017, participating in disaster relief and social responsibility initiatives.
• 丛林电音 (Jungle Electronic Music)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 20162016 MADHOUSE electronic music party collaboration targeting trendsetting young consumers and extending the '一块乐' (Have Fun Together) brand spirit.
• 爱特乐团 (ATE Music Band)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Since 2014, La Cesar has continuously collaborated with ATE Music Band, an autistic children's music group, sponsoring their Star Music Concerts for autistic children.
• 艺康 (Ecolab)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal sustainability and food safety leader that formed a strategic cooperation with La Cesar on food safety standards. Ecolab works with La Cesar to ensure kitchen compliance and ingredient safety standards.
• 深圳湾艺穗节 (Shenzhen Bay Arts Fringe Festival)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFor 5 consecutive years, La Cesar has participated in the Shenzhen Bay Arts Fringe Festival parade, promoting the 'Everyone is an Artist' spirit and brand '一块乐' values through cross-cultural event marketing.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Haidilao: China's leading hot-pot chain and a benchmark for service excellence, family-friendly experiences, and digital operations. While a different cuisine, it competes with La Cesar for family dining occasions and shared marketing/IP tactics.
• Heytea: A leading new-style tea chain with strong digital membership, premium positioning, and frequent product drops. Operates in similar mall locations to La Cesar and shares the digitally native, brand-driven F&B playbook.
• Nayuki: A premium Chinese tea-and-bakery chain with deep WeChat mini-program engagement and a sit-down, family-friendly store experience, comparable to La Cesar in digital-first customer engagement and tier-1 mall positioning.

Direct peers

• Papa John's (China): Papa John's operates in mainland China as a premium-positioned international pizza chain, overlapping with La Cesar's higher-priced, ingredient-quality narrative and competing for the same family and young-professional segment.
• Pizza Hut (China): Operated by Yum China, Pizza Hut is the largest pizza chain in China with over 3,000 locations nationwide. It is a direct competitor in the dine-in and delivery pizza category, with far greater geographic reach and marketing scale than La Cesar.
• Domino's Pizza (China): Domino's operates a delivery-led pizza model in China with hundreds of stores, competing directly with La Cesar on convenience, digital ordering, and product. Its scale and global brand recognition make it a primary head-to-head competitor.
• Pizza Marzano: An authentic Italian casual-dining pizza concept operating primarily in tier-1 Chinese malls, Pizza Marzano competes with La Cesar in the sit-down, premium-pizza segment with a different cuisine positioning.

Emerging players

• Element Fresh: A Western-cuisine casual-dining chain in China with a health-leaning menu and presence in tier-1 malls, overlapping with La Cesar's premium-casual positioning and family-and-professionals target customer.

Regional players

• The Pizza Company: A Thai-headquartered pizza chain with limited mainland China presence but operating in adjacent Asian markets, comparable in menu breadth and family-friendly positioning to La Cesar's broader offering.
• Taco Bell (China): A Western-themed QSR concept with limited mainland China locations. Comparable to La Cesar as a Western-cuisine player in China pursuing a niche, novelty-driven positioning rather than mass-market share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Cesar pizzeria