After adding 61 stores in 2011 and 62 stores in 2012, Marco’s expects to surpass its goal of adding 104 stores in 2013 and will likely close out the year with 110 new franchises. The growth trend will pick up more speed in 2014 as the brand sets its sights on becoming a category leader.
“Think of Five Guys Burgers and Fries where they created the better-burger category. We are now clearly defining the ‘better-pizza category,’ or as we call it, the ‘Perfect Pie category.’ With all this momentum, we have hit the tipping point,” says Cameron Cummins, vice president of franchise marketing and recruiting.
Franchising experts Joe Mathews and Thomas Scott of Franchise Performance Group explain the tipping point in their book Creating a Franchise Sales Tipping Point: “All iconic, category-killing franchise brands at one time have experienced a franchise sales tipping point. Most started out as small franchises and grew slowly, struggling as most franchisors do to find their next franchisee. Then something happened, the precise moment in the company’s history when the franchise came out of obscurity and appeared to announce itself to the world, declaring, ‘We are now a force to be reckoned with.’ If you’ve ever worked for a company as it tipped, you will now remember it as the time when franchise candidates seemed to already know who you are and want what you have before you even have the chance to talk with them.”
Marco’s anticipates hitting the 500-store tipping point in April 2014. As a national pizza chain founded by a native Italian, Marco’s aims to craft every pizza in the tradition of the classic Italian cook. Dough is made in stores daily, and Marco’s uses premium ingredients for every pie.
