Nation’s Fastest-Growing Pizza Brand* Jumps 19 Spots Year-Over-Year, Prioritizes Nationwide Expansion in 2023
Marco’s Pizza, the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brand*, was recognized as No. 51 on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®, the world’s first, best, and most comprehensive franchise ranking. The 44th annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500® is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry. Marco’s moved up 19 spots, previously ranking No. 70 in 2022. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the 2023 Franchise 500® ranks Marco’s for its outstanding performance in areas including growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.
At the crux of Marco’s ongoing growth is its renowned high-quality pizza which has provided the basic foundation to scale. The 1,100-plus unit brand opened more than 90 stores and awarded 140 franchises in 2022. In the last six years, Marco’s has doubled its store footprint and has no intention of slowing down. With vast whitespace across the country, company leadership has identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations.
“We have our dedicated teams at the corporate office and franchisee store-level to thank for our growth and strong performance over the past year,” said Tony Libardi, Co-CEO & President of Marco’s Pizza. “Their tenacity and drive to succeed speaks volumes, and the No. 51 recognition we’re receiving from Entrepreneur is a direct result of their hard work. 2023 is poised to be a remarkable year for Marco’s as we build on our achievements, inch closer toward major brand milestones, and grow our nationwide presence.”
Alongside growth, Marco’s has surpassed $1B in annual systemwide sales and continues to prioritize maximizing franchisee profits with strong unit-level economics. Nation’s Restaurant News Top 500 Report shows Marco’s achieved the highest percent year-over-year sales change (+18.2%) when compared to the nation’s top 4 pizza brands, making Marco’s the No. 5 pizza brand in systemwide sales in America**.
Now, Marco’s has its sights set on becoming the No. 4 brand in pizza as it experienced a 12.8% increase in year-over-year Average Unit Volume (AUV), and the Top 50% of Marco’s franchised stores generated $1,198,201 AUV for 2021***.
“The past year underscores the extraordinary opportunities that the franchise industry presents for entrepreneurs of all levels,” says Entrepreneur editor in chief Jason Feifer. “The companies named to our 44th annual Franchise 500 list represent some of the most innovative, creative, and trusted brands across many industries and highlight what it takes to build the kind of momentum that drives long-lasting success.”
In Entrepreneur’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace, the company’s 44-year-old ranking formula continues to evolve as well. The editorial team researches and assesses several factors that go into the evaluation including costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.
Over its 44 years in existence, the Franchise 500® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. Marco’s position on the ranking is a testament to its strength as a franchise opportunity.
With prime territories available, Marco’s provides a full development support system, including technology and tools to help identify the right territories for expansion plus expertise in financing, real estate, construction management, and field operations, to assist franchisees and multi-unit operators. According to FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, Marco’s 2022 FUND® Score of 895 is in the top 1% of all evaluated franchise systems and is the 2nd highest score among all evaluated food franchises.
For more information on Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcosfranchising.com/ or call 866-731-8209 to speak with Shannon Iverson, Vice President of Franchise Sales.
To view Marco’s Pizza in the full ranking, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January/February 2023 issue of Entrepreneur, available on newsstands January 17th.
About Marco’s Pizza
Marco’s Pizza is one of America’s Top 10 Favorite QSR Brands according to the 2022 Market Force Information Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand in the United States*. Marco’s was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale (“Pat”) Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,100 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco’s Pizza was ranked No. 51 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2023 “Franchise 500” ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek’s 2023 “America’s Best Customer Service” in pizza chains list, ranked No. 40 on QSR’s Top 50 and has been featured six consecutive years on Nation’s Restaurant News’ prestigious “Top 500” ranking.
*Marco’s Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand based on year-over-year unit growth, according to 2021 NRN Top 500 U.S. Restaurant Ranking LSR Pizza Segment.
**Marco’s is now the 5th largest pizza brand in systemwide sales, according to 2021 NRN Top 500 US Restaurant Ranking LSR Pizza Segment.”
***Based on the Average Unit Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for fiscal year 2021. Based on fiscal year 2021, 146 of 389 Franchised Stores in the category (38%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our current FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.
