Small-market strategy gives new franchisees a bigger competitive edge

To reach our goal of becoming one of the top pizza chains, Marco’s is growing in smaller markets

A slice of pepperoni and mushroom pizza trails melted cheese as it is pulled from a whole pie. Another pizza and cola in a glass can be seen out of focus in the background.

We’re swiftly growing to become one of America’s top pizza chains, with opportunities for multi-unit owners in many small markets.

As part of our goal to become the fifth-largest pizza chain, Marco’s is looking for multi-unit developers for mid-sized markets. This smaller-market strategy presents an opportunity to experienced operators who are are looking for smaller development deals and would like the chance to control an entire city for a fast-growing brand.

Fully developing the Lubbock market in Texas, for instance, might mean you only operate four Marco’s franchises instead of, say, 20 in the Nashville market. Most of our target markets, for which we’re seeking experienced local operators, require no more than four restaurants be developed.

“That strategy will help our new franchisees truly dominate and own the market in this $47 billion pizza industry,” said President Tony Libardi. “Expanding our presence throughout these key DMAs is an exciting chapter for our growth story.”

Where we’re growing next

Marco’s Pizza is actively seeking qualified franchise partners in the following territories:

  • Texas: Ranking No. 1 in America’s Top States for Business in 2018, Texas proves to be an ideal market for expansion. Building on the strength of its 85 existing locations across the state, Marco’s Pizza is seeking development in Lubbock, which can hold seven locations, and Longview/Tyler, which has potential for three locations.
  • Georgia: Marco’s Pizza has found incredible success with more than 100 active locations in Georgia, 90 of which operate in the Atlanta hub. Georgia continues to be a prime state for development due to its diverse talent pool and community with deep restaurant industry roots. Ideally, we would like to open three new locations in Savannah.
  • Oklahoma: After vast market research, it’s clear a diverse small-business ecosystem is finding root in Tulsa, Oklahoma’s second-largest city. With a low-cost operating environment and a robust pipeline of talent coming from nearby universities, Tulsa has the potential to accommodate six locations throughout the city, adding to Marco’s nearly 25 locations open across the state.
  • Louisiana: There are currently three successful locations in Louisiana, leaving an open market for growth potential. The ideal target market for continued expansion is Shreveport, which has potential for four locations.
  • Idaho: Marco’s Pizza debuted in the state early this year with a location in Meridian. We would like to expand the brand presence with five locations in greater Boise.
  • Nevada: With nearly 10 locations operating at high performance, Marco’s Pizza seeks to capitalize on the opportunity for continued development throughout the state, targeting expansion in the Reno market, which has the potential for two locations.
  • New Mexico: With a positive business climate and an open real estate market, New Mexico is ideally situated for Marco’s Pizza. We hope to debut in this state by opening three locations in Albuquerque.
The exterior of a Marco’s Pizza in a modern building.

Investing in the development of multiple Marco’s Pizza franchises in a smaller market could be a smart investor move.

Join our top fast-growing franchise

Our over 900-unit brand aims to reach 1,500 locations by 2020. Our rapid growth is fueled by our strong corporate backing, the ability to take market share, unit-level profitability, authentic Italian quality food standards and our ability to attract top-performing entrepreneurs as  franchisees.

“Our development team is poised for success, and our initial locations in these areas will no doubt bring success to enthusiastic entrepreneurs,” Libardi said. “Marco’s Pizza is hands-down the best quality and our customer service outmatches the competition – all of which has created a loyal customer following directly contributing to our $725,000 average unit volume goal.”

Learn more about one of the nation’s top pizza chains

Download our franchise report for in-depth details about our business opportunity. You can also learn more by exploring our research pages.