Marco's Pizza, operated byMarco's Franchising, LLC, is an Americanrestaurant chain and interstate franchise based in Toledo, Ohio, that specializes in Italian-American cuisine. The first store was opened in Oregon, Ohio on Starr Ave. It was founded by Italian immigrant Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco in 1978. As of mid-2017, there are more than 800 franchised Marco's Pizza locations in 34 states and Puerto Rico, as well as the Bahamas, and India. Most recently, it was announced that Marco's Pizza has doubled its size and expects to open its 1000th store by the end of 2018. Marco's Pizza credits its franchisees as well as its dough, three-cheese blend, and pizza sauce for its strong growth. In 2016, Marco's Pizza was ranked at #10 on the Pizza Todaylist of the Top 100 Pizza Companies in the United States. The company was also named one of Marketing Quarterly’s Top 25 Pizza Chains and named by Franchising World as number eight on the magazine's list of “Fast and Serious Growth Franchises”. The business operates locations in 33 states and Puerto Rico. Store locations offer online ordering and payment.
History
Founding
Born in Sulmona, Italy, Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco is the founder of Marco's Pizza. Giammarco moved to the United States from the Abruzzo region of Italy when he was nine years old and grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, where he worked in his family's pizzeria. He and his father made the sauce recipe that is used in Marco's Pizza locations.
Modern history
In 2002, restaurant industry expert Jack Butorac was asked to analyze three restaurant concepts as potential growth opportunities, including Marco's Pizza. He traveled through Ohio and stopped at five Marco's Pizza stores in different cities along his route. He found different exteriors and inconsistent branding, but pizza that was the same at each location. "It was delicious," Butorac told the New York Times in a 2014 interview. A veteran of large franchise operations, Butorac saw the possibilities in this regional brand. "What didn’t have was how to brand it and differentiate it from other brands out there," Butorac told Pizza Marketplace in an interview. Butorac began working as a consultant with Giammarco and soon began negotiations to purchase the franchising rights to Marco's Pizza. Butorac assumed leadership of the company in January 2004 with a vision to take Marco's Pizza national. In 2005 nationwide Marco's expansion began. Marco's experienced rapid expansion under Butorac's leadership. Since Butorac has owned the company, it has more than doubled in size and expanded to over 35 states, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and India. Butorac was presented with the prestigious Golden Chain award, a lifetime-achievement award in the restaurant business, by '" in July 2017. Marco's Pizza and its president, Bryon Stephens, were featured on the January 29, 2016, episode of the CBStelevision programUndercover Boss. The episode won its time slot in the TV ratings with 7.3 million viewers.
Menu
Marco’s Pizza menu is available for delivery or take-out, while some locations offer dine-in and catering options. The menu includes pizza, subs, wings, salads, CheezyBread, CinnaSquares, pizza bowls, and co-branded Ghirardelli brownies. Some of Marco’s specialty pizzas include White Cheezy, for which the pizza company won a gourmet competition in California. Among the unusual and specialty pizzas found at various times on the Marco’s Pizza menu are Chicken Florentine, Pepperoni Magnifico, Chicken Fresco, Spicy Fresco, and Double Pepperoni Spicy Fresco pizzas. The signature ingredient of the Fresco pizzas is Marco’s special Giardiniera, an authentic Italian pepper relish.
2017 accolades and ratings
Marco's Pizza is currently listed at #8 in Pizza Today's Top 100 Pizza Chains for 2017 and was named by Franchise Times as number eight on the magazine's list of Fast and Serious growth franchises. In 2012, Marco’s Pizza partnered with privately held movie rental chain Family Video to open Marco’s locations in as many as 350 Family Video stores. In 2014, Marco’s Pizza was named the #3 best pizza chain by Consumer Reports magazine on its list of Best and Worst Fast Food Restaurantsin America based on survey results. It was the first time Marco’s Pizza had ever appeared on this list.
