California restaurant owners gobsmacked after Sonoma town approves a new Little Caesars - despite a ban on chains

Local leaders only discovered the oversight after Little Caesars had already begun building out the space – and at that point, couldn’t stop the project, CBS News San Francisco reported.

The mistake has left local business owners stunned, including Steve DeCosse, who owns the only other pizzeria in Sebastopol, Acre Pizza, located less than half a mile away.

“There it was,” DeCosse told The Press Democrat. “How the hell did that happen?”

While DeCosse isn’t worried about losing customers, he told the outlet that “nothing about [chains] resonates with the town.”

Francesca Malerba-Locke, who owns a nearby consignment furniture store Attico, agreed, telling CBS that she values the city for its small, local shops.

“Disappointing that a big mistake like this would go through,” Malerba-Locke said. “It doesn’t add to the charm of the [town].”

Interim City Manager Mary Gourley told the Press Democrat that the approval was “an oversight on the city staff’s part.”

Council member Neysa Hinton said the city has taken ownership of the mistake. "It's an error. The city of Sebastopol has taken ownership and admitted we've made an error, an administrative error on approval. But Little Caesars, I guess, took that approval and ran with it and started making improvements. And so they had a vested interest by the time we realized our error. And we had to let them move forward," Hinton said.

Sonoma County, and neighboring Napa Valley, attract millions of visitors each year to their world-class vineyards and high-end restaurants including the three Michelin-starred French Laundry.

However, some younger residents say they welcome the fast, easy dining option.

“For me specifically, I do like it. Because I’m a big fan of it,” local worker AJ Mercado told CBS. “I mainly just like it because it’s cheap. It’s not really the best food, but it’s cheap enough for me.”

While the chain appeals to some, plenty of residents are saying they will continue to support local businesses.

“What do I think about Little Caesars? I don’t think it’s necessarily a part of our community here in Sebastopol. There a lot better pizza to be had in Sebastapol. So that’s where I’ll be going,” resident Rick Rocklewitz told CBS.

Hinton, the council member, also noted that locals will get to decide whether or not to pay the chain a visit.

“The consumer will now decide whether they like it or not with their pocketbook. I point out we don’t have a Burger King and we don’t have a McDonald’s in Sebastopol. They both went out of business,” she said.

The city says it has added safeguards to prevent similar mistakes in the future. The Little Caesars location is expected to open to the public sometime next week.