Marco’s Pizza, the nation’s fastest growing pizza chain, was named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Franchises on its annual list of best and worst franchises in America. Boasting a five-year growth rate of 24 percent and average initial investment of $384,092, Marco’s Pizza was ranked as the second best franchise to buy in 2016 in the medium-size segment, with entry costs ranging from $150,001 and $500,000.
The Forbes “America’s Best and Worst Franchises to Buy” list was created from performance and revenue metrics compiled and analyzed by FRANdata, a research and consulting firm that focuses on studying the comparative performance of franchise brands. Each company was analyzed and ranked by cost of initial investment (economy: up to $150,000; coach: between $150,001 and $500,000; first-class: $500,001 and up), five-year growth rates, five-year continuity rates, and consistency of ownership. FRANdata also considers the level of franchisee support provided by the franchisor.
“It is a tremendous honor to be named the top two best U.S. franchise in our segment,” says Bryon Stephens, Marco’s Pizza president and COO. “We are extremely proud of the success Marco’s Pizza has achieved on both a franchisor and franchisee level in 2016 and are excited to continue our growth so that next year we can reach number one.”
The high accolades are a testament to Marco’s Pizza continued exponential growth in 2016, with an average new store opening at a pace of every other day. Earlier this year, the “Ah!thentic” Italian pizza franchise opened its milestone 700th store following one of its strongest first quarters in company history, and is on track to reach 1,000 locations by 2017.
In addition to consistently adding new locations, Marco’s continues its growth and development through initiatives, such as the recent introduction of a new apprenticeship program aimed at recruiting veterans into the franchise system and putting them on the fast track to business ownership. Spearheaded by U.S. Army veteran Scott Quagliata, the veteran-focused program will soon expand to include the general public and qualified candidates from Marco’s existing pool of employees, further strengthening the brand with like-minded, dedicated individuals.
