Marco’s Pizza Unveils New ‘Enhancements’ for Rapid Growth

Marco’s Pizza, a 1,000-plus-unit casual pizza restaurant franchise, has publicly released enhancement plans for its franchise development program. The new goal: to grow to 1,500 units by the end of 2023.

Robert Pina, a Houston and San Antonio area representative who recently signed a 46-store deal, is a firm believer in the Marco’s Pizza business model and its fast-paced franchise expansion. Having previously owned a portfolio of Subway restaurants, Pina knows what it takes to make a franchise grow and succeed.

"I've been with Marco's for 11 years and can confidently say that the level of sophistication and detail of the franchise development program has never been stronger," said Pina. "Marco's makes it easy to become an empire builder in the system. If you're looking to grow a robust pizza portfolio, you won't find a more dedicated and supportive team than this. Marco’s leadership and devotion to franchise growth and franchisee support is simply unmatched."

The enhancements to the company’s franchise development program focus on four areas of improvement: financing, design and construction, real estate and growth incentives.

In the financing space, the brand has established partnerships with eight preferred banks and lending institutions. These partnerships should lead to increasingly favorable lending terms for the franchise.

The company also plans to improve growth incentives for many multi-unit franchisees. According to the Marco’s Pizza franchising website, the company will “provide discounted franchise fees and reduced royalty rates for qualified multi-unit franchisees with more than 5 units, and additional incentives for those who open 4 or more units on an accelerated time frame.”

As for real estate enhancements, the brand has ramped up its real estate support team in an effort to facilitate site selection and inform key decisions of franchisees. This support will accelerate the unit-opening process and encourage franchisees to grow their portfolios with the Marco’s Pizza brand.

The company also has plans for design and construction improvements, with a recent agreement established between the franchise and a single, designated architect. The intent is to shorten the build-out of new locations by at least two weeks. The architect will also shepherd the permitting process on behalf of franchisees, streamlining the process and lessening the workload of franchisees.

Marco’s Pizza was recently named an honorable mention winner of FRANdata's 2022 TopScore FUND Award, and the top 50% of Marco’s franchised stores generated $1,198,201 AUV in 2021.