Three Ways Marco’s Pizza® Franchise Delivers on Consumer Trends

Americans are eating more pizza than ever, and Marco’s Pizza’s superior product delivers innovation, convenience and versatility

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Marco’s Pizza is on pace to open 150 stores in the U.S. and internationally in 2016. With increasing demand for pizza, now is the ideal time to own a Marco’s Pizza franchise.

At Marco’s Pizza, we stay ahead of trends by identifying what consumers want and delivering on that — whether it be taste or value or service. We are gaining market share, which attracts top talent among our franchisees and support center staff. Plus, we’re being recognized for our growth. Entrepreneur magazine recently ranked Marco’s Pizza 95th on their prestigious Franchise 500 list.

Americans are eating more pizza than ever before, according to the 2016 Pizza Consumer Trend Report. Forty one percent of consumers polled say they’re now eating pizza once a week, compared to 26 percent just two years ago. 2015 was an outstanding year for Marco’s Pizza franchisees, and with more and more hungry consumers eating pizza, we are poised for even more growth in 2016. Our leadership is focused on strategic domestic and international growth, and our franchise was recognized as an industry leader in the fast-casual segment, making now the perfect time to own a Marco’s franchise.

Marco’s delivers on several key consumer trends, including innovation, convenience and versatility, that establish us as a growing brand.

Marco’s Pizza embraces innovation

As the only national pizza franchise founded by a native Italian, Marco’s Pizza has made a name in the pizza industry by producing fresh, handmade pizza. While we are known for our fresh dough made daily on-site, our proprietary three-cheese blend that is fresh and never-frozen, and our secret pizza sauce recipe, our success and rapid growth is also a result of our strong corporate backing.

Today’s customers want artisan meats and cheeses, interesting spices and premium ingredients, and we are constantly testing new product offerings in our 3,500-square-foot training kitchen in Toledo, Ohio. There, franchisees learn quality standards and how to make the ultimate pizza and then take those skills out into their stores. Several limited-time specialty pizzas have been created in the kitchen, including our Chicken Fresco pizza, Grilled Chicken Florentine pizza and a Roma Meat pizza.

“We’re fanatical about creating the perfect pie,” says Marco’s Pizza President and COO Bryon Stephens. “We will apply that quality standard to every piece of equipment and product we test in the kitchen before they go to our stores and to market. Likewise, we are investing substantial resources in attracting and developing quality people to own, manage and work in our stores.”

Marco’s Pizza makes it convenient to eat pizza, without compromising quality

Time-starved Americans are on the go, but they don’t always want fast food. Marco’s Pizza franchise locations offer a fast-casual dining experience that is attractive to families, and the segment is one of the biggest restaurant success stories of the past few years. Forbes.com reports that traffic in the fast-casual segment has surpassed that of every other type of restaurant for the fifth consecutive year.

More customers are discovering why Marco’s is at the top of the better pizza category. As one of the fastest-growing large pizza franchises in the country, we pride ourselves on making the best delivery pizza money can buy. We offer real value to our customers through the power of purchasing in large quantities. For just $20-$30, you can feed a family of four fresh, delicious Marco’s Pizza.

Marco’s Pizza offers a versatile menu that complements pizza

Fresh ingredients at Marco's Pizza

Franchisees train for eight weeks between a state-of-the-art kitchen at Marco’s University and hands-on experience at a locally operated certified training store.

Marco’s Pizza monitors hot trends and listens to our customers for ideas to turn into our next successful pizza promotions — then we get to work to make them happen. We also work hard to offer quality menu offerings outside the realm of pizza. Take our desserts, for example. Our S’mores, Salted Caramel, Triple Chocolate and the Double Chocolate Brownies use only the finest ingredients that people want — including premium chocolate.

“Using premium chocolate makes our new brownies extra rich and delicious,” says Darren Gray, Marco’s Senior Director of Menu and Culinary Innovation, who brings more than 20 years of experience from nationally recognized brands. Darren is tasked with aligning menu and culinary development to create unique and craveable products that differentiate the Marco’s brand from other food industry concepts.

Marco’s Pizza offers a relatively low initial investment, making it feasible to open more than one location. Restaurants range in size from 1,400 square feet to 1,600 square feet, which is a smaller operation with lower overhead than some other restaurant chains. Startup costs for a limited-seating store range from $221,592 to $421,592.

Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing large pizza franchise chains, prides itself in making the best delivery pizza money can buy. Marco’s pizza is handmade in the Italian tradition, using fresh, never-frozen cheeses, making the dough in stores daily and using only premium meats and vegetables. Founded in Toledo in 1978, Marco’s is the only Top 20 pizza chain founded by a native Italian. Marco’s has enjoyed significant growth in recent years and is on pace to have 1,000 restaurants open by the end of 2017.

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.