Multi-unit, multi-brand franchisee sees pandemic as opportune time to grow his pizza portfolio & further diversify
Travis Davis
Marco’s Pizza announces the signing of a new multi-unit development agreement in Texas that will bring 20 new stores to the state by the end of 2025. The new Marco’s franchise locations will be owned and operated by Travis Davis and Solis Management, who currently have nine stores open or in various stages of development throughout Texas. This news comes on heels of the brand’s recent 1,000th store opening as Marco’s looks to continue aggressive growth throughout the southern region of the United States and beyond.
As a native Texan, Davis and his business partners, who own nearly 50 Sonic drive-ins, saw an opportunity to expand Marco’s footprint across the state. Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the team remained focused on the long-term vision of growing their portfolio. Solis Management currently operate six Marco’s Pizza stores in San Antonio, New Braunfels, Buda, Pflugerville, Georgetown and Boerne, plus an additional three stores in development in San Marcos, Bee Cave and Marble Falls. The team has targeted Texas for additional growth based on strong market demographics and its sophisticated management team already in place — seeing now as an opportune time to expand. Target development markets for the 20 units include the Corpus Christi DMA along with Beaumont and the surrounding areas.
“While the pandemic has posed significant challenges for small business owners, it was critical for our team to remain focused on the long-term vision —to not let this moment in time be the end of time,” said Davis. “As a multi-unit, multi-brand operator, it quickly became evident that there is tremendous value in having a diversified portfolio to allow for balance and stability during times of uncertainty. The pandemic forced us all to realize the value in not only preparing for the future but acting on it soon. This is why the timing was right to invest and be aggressive with growth plans to set our team up for long-term success.”
This development push further ignites Marco’s strategic expansion across the country as it remains committed to growth in 2020 — opening 60 stores thus far with upwards of 80 locations expected to open total this year. Plus, it has 110 new store commitments in the pipeline, and recorded continued significant increases in Q3 same-store-sales, all while supporting communities nationwide via its ‘You Can Count on Marco’s Pizza’ commitment.
“Travis and his team have been incredible partners who truly embody our People-First approach to business that has proved to be a critical element to our brand’s success,” said Ron Stilwell, VP and Chief Development Officer of Marco’s Pizza. “With the right team in place, they have been able to maintain a growth mindset and actualize their development goals. Texas is an ideal state for our continued expansion as it has a strong foundation in terms of unit count and franchisee health, all while yielding an impressive number of high-profile opportunities. Now is the time to build on that foundation and we look forward to working with franchise partners who align with that mission. Additional target development markets across Texas include Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Rio Grande Valley, among others.”
Marco’s strength, resiliency and ability to innovate and adapt has allowed it to remain steadfast and focused on growth. The pandemic accelerated several innovations and pilot programs including piloting ghost kitchens in several strategic markets, rapid expansion of third-party delivery and testing of robotic kitchen innovations that improve efficiencies without compromising pizza quality or craftmanship. Marco’s is committed to the future and beyond as the company continues to push forward with new openings and signed agreements during the COVID era.
The only national pizza franchise founded by a native Italian, Marco’s has carved out a niche in the industry for authentic Italian quality pizza. The brand is known for its fresh dough made in-store daily, signature three-cheese blend and a secret original pizza sauce recipe from founder Pat Giammarco.
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