President Bryon Stephens goes undercover to learn more about life inside Marco’s Pizza® franchise
Want a look at what life is like inside a Marco’s Pizza franchise? The hit show Undercover Boss on CBS will feature President and Chief Operating Officer Bryon Stephens going undercover as a bearded employee named “Jay” during a special episode to be broadcast Jan. 29 (8 p.m. ET/PT).
The Emmy-winning show follows high-level corporate executives as they slip anonymously into the rank-and-file of their own companies to examine the inner workings.
Marco’s is putting a new twist on this episode: the fast-growing pizza franchise will host a live chat on Twitter (@MarcosPizza) and will respond in real time to any conversations using the hashtag #UndercoverBoss. In addition, starting Jan. 21, 2016, until the airing of the episode, Marco’s Pizza locations will offer an “Undercover Deal,” in which consumers can join the Marco’s Pizza e-club to unlock a secret promotion.
Marco’s Pizza President and COO Bryon Stephens
“Our mission is for Marco’s Pizza to be the pizza of choice, the employer of choice and the business partner of choice,” Bryon says. “Everything we do revolves around that mission. Being on Undercover Boss provided a golden opportunity to get an inside look from the perspective of the employee, the franchisee and the customer. The discoveries I made during the journey were eye-opening.”
On the episode, Bryon, disguised as a bearded, middle-aged man trying to map out his future career, works as a Marco’s pizza delivery driver, cashier, pizza maker, and even loads trucks late at night at the company’s distribution center in Toledo, Ohio. Along the way, he gets a firsthand look at the business model’s strengths and challenges, as well as the personal and professional struggles of employees and franchisees.
While we haven’t yet seen the episode, we are eager to watch and hope you are, too. We’re big fans of the CBS show and its ability to paint a vivid portrait of the people who are part of the business world and tell their personal stories in compelling ways.
Marco’s has enjoyed significant growth in recent years and is on pace to have 1,000 restaurants open by the end of 2017. The dynamic pizza franchise rolled out 113 new franchises in 2015 and has recently announced plans to open 150 more locations in 2016. Given these numbers, it should not come as a surprise that Marco’s Pizza has the fastest unit growth, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, which named the beloved pizza franchise as part of its Second 100 List. That list analyzes businesses that are smaller but are focusing on growing around the nation.
“We are opening new stores at a fast pace,” Bryon says. “Going undercover afforded me the unprecedented opportunity to expose issues and address them so that we can continue to grow smart. I also came away from this journey with an indelible sense of pride in our employees on the front lines. When it boils down to it, it’s about our product and the hardworking people behind it.”
Build your success on ours
Founded in Toledo, Ohio, in 1978, Marco’s has become the fastest-growing large pizza franchise in the nation. Our homemade recipes and fresh ingredients are in the Italian tradition, and we are the only top 20 pizza franchise in the country that was founded by a native Italian. We are led by veteran pizza executives who have experience growing brands and supporting franchisees as they grow their businesses.
Learn more about Marco’s Pizza
For in-depth details about the Marco’s Pizza® franchise opportunity, download our free franchise report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages.
