The head office of Marco’s Pizza is in Toledo, Ohio, one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the USA today. Primarily founded by Italian immigrant Pasquale (“Pat”) Giammarco at the end of 1978, this brand’s main principles are represented by the fresh pizzas they make from scratch and the three signature fresh cheeses. Over the years, the business has become a well-known Ohio brand, but it also functions in 1,200 stores all over the United States and in US territories such as Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. The latest one was Marco’s Pizza, which came as the top pizza chain when it came to the consumer reports scores in 2018. The establishment opened its 48th location on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2024 “Franchise 500” List. Additionally, other recent laurels include a high ranking on Newsweek’s 2023 list for “America’s Best Customer Services” for pizza chains, as well as being included on QSR’s Top 50 list of quick-service restaurants, and, finally, featuring on Nation’s Restaurant News’ illustrious “Top 500” listings
By stipulating a multimillion-dollar investment into the latest pizza production and delivery technologies, Marco’s Pizza is spearheading the future of making and bringing pizza to people. The company has devised different delivery agreements by the third party, shifted to ghost kitchens, brought in the latest modernized operations equipment, set up AI-driven phone ordering systems, experimented with drone delivery services, and submitted machine automation in the kitchen.
Marco’s (Manos D’oro) strategy combines its excellent product, which serves as the foundation for scale, a strong business model, a skilled leadership team, network partnerships, multi-channel national advertising, and an innovative approach to technology–everything to meet the current needs of the modern-day customer.
Marco’s 2024 project would be structured around multi-brand expansion, whereby the leadership team will concentrate on franchise relations and operational support. Nearly 50% of the network of franchisees are operators of multi-units. Additionally, franchise development in non-traditional sectors is another key prospect area, alongside globalization and penetration into the LATAM market in the near future, following a bigger vision for other nations.
Growth of Marco’s Pizza in the US
With millions of dollars in new technology, Marco’s is leading the frontier of pizza production and delivery through advanced solutions. The company has experimented with partnerships with third-party delivery services and a notion of ghost kitchens. It has modernized the operational process by introducing the most innovative equipment, made it possible to use AI-driven telephone ordering systems, tried drone deliveries, and accepted kitchen automation.
It has grown to operate in 34 states, including locations like Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, with its 1,200 stores. Lately, the franchise has made great strides with a new addition at Belleview in Florida, led by Pete Hiles, a well-established and experienced entrepreneur who has been in business for at least 30 years in the pizza industry. Wiles nevertheless has the commanding control of 11 Marco’s Pizza outlets, one of which is located in the Greater Orlando area. The Belleview location will serve authentic and unique pizzas with the freshest vegetables and spices.
Expansion of Marco’s Pizza in the US
As part of its north-west regional expansion strategy, the US restaurant company Marco’s Pizza intends to open four additional outlets in Boise, Idaho. The first two locations are planned to open in Caldwell and Kuna by June 2024, followed by a third in the Meridian area by the end of the summer. The selection process for the fourth location is currently underway. Presently, the brand has one location on the state’s western side.
Marco’s Pizza aims to establish up to 12 regional locations by identifying Boise as a pivotal growth market. Gerardo Flores, Chief Development Officer of Marco’s Franchising, commented, “We are deliberate in every development decision. Towards the completion of the market analysis, Boise presents us with a population that is growing fast and has a vibrant demography and a strong job market. According to us, our domestic stores will be the top picks in this lively market, and Marco will be more up to the challenge when he has quality products and innovative moves.
Marco’s Pizza sought to enhance the efficiency of its strategic real estate choices. Recognizing the importance of location intelligence technology in pinpointing the optimal number and placement of stores across various markets and regions, Marco’s Pizza selected Pitney Bowes Software (PBS) to fulfill its location intelligence needs.
Location Analysis of Marco’s Pizza in the US
This analysis includes the data of May 2023, as no updated data is available on the online source to conduct the latest research on the location of Marco’s Pizza in the USA.
As of May 17, 2023, Marcos is a very successful franchise; it is represented by 1,158 locations spanning 35 states and territories, with 736 cities among them. Such a broad outreach spells success for Marcos, as the business has garnered a well-deserved fan base in many major cities and smaller communities in the country. Texas stands out as the state with the highest number of Marcos locations, boasting 177 restaurants. This number represents approximately 15% of all Marcos restaurants in the country. It follows that the Marcos brand has established a foothold in Texas since the document singles it out as an essential market, implying that the brand has gotten recognition and acceptance in the Lone Star State, making it a place that the firm would be moved to deploy commercial operations and export strategies in the United States.
In Texas, MARCOS has 177 outlets, which is about 15% of its restaurants throughout the United States. In a state with 29 million people, this translates to one MARCOS restaurant per 163,819 people.
Having Florida Marcos moves in the creation and management of almost 139 restaurants. This number accounts for about 12% of the total number of U.S. locations. Florida has a population of nearly 21.5 million, which means that the ratio of Marcos restaurants per 154,518 residents is one for each. Similarly, Marcos, Texas, has planted a strong presence in Florida, which is proof of the most preferred eatery among Floridians.
In addition to Florida, there are 139 Marco’s restaurants spread across Ohio, whereas Florida has the same number of locations, which amounts to the same 12% of the total US number. According to the USA Census Bureau, Ohio is home to 11.7M people, meaning there is approximately one Marcos restaurant for every 84,094 people. Although its population ratios are lower than Texas and Florida, Marcos’s market presence in the Buckeye State, led by a notable number of restaurants, attests to a good demand and marketing penetration among Ohioans.
Cities with Most Marco’s Pizza Locations
In the United States, some cities have a lot of Marcos restaurants. San Antonio in Texas has the most, with 16 places to eat Marcos food. People in San Antonio seem to really like Marcos! Next up is Toledo in Ohio, which has 13 Marcos restaurants. That’s quite a surprise, considering Ohio isn’t usually known for this type of restaurant. Houston, also in Texas, isn’t far behind with 12 Marcos locations. Texans seem to have a big appetite for Marcos dishes.
Moving on, San Juan in Puerto Rico and Atlanta in Georgia both have 11 Marcos restaurants each. This shows that Marcos is popular not only in the mainland U.S. but also in places like Puerto Rico. Las Vegas, Tampa, and Orlando each have nine Marcos places, which makes sense because these cities attract a lot of tourists who might want to try Marcos’ food. Lastly, cities like Cincinnati and Cleveland in Ohio have eight Marcos restaurants each. Even in the Midwest, people enjoy Marcos’ menu offerings. Overall, Marcos restaurants are spread out across different cities, catering to various tastes and preferences across the country.
Bottomline
The restaurant, as it continuously strives for more cost-effective methods of food delivery, will start unveiling automated solutions for on-demand service. Nevertheless, it can be the case that the cost of running the solution will not be affordable enough for a while. The brand has launched Marco’s Order Management System (MOMS), an entirely cloud-based proprietary platform. This allows Marco to tailor and adapt to evolving consumer needs, setting it apart from a standard off-the-shelf technology stack.
