Marco’s Pizza announced it has officially crossed the $1 billion annual systemwide sales milestone. The achievement comes on the heels of record-breaking growth catapulting its strong performance as America’s No. 5 pizza brand in systemwide sales.
To commemorate the achievement, the company is launching the Marco’s Pizza Foundation as an extension of its mission to empower franchisees and team members to make a positive difference in their communities. The new effort marks a deeper commitment to unification across Marco’s as it brings the brand, its franchisees, and the communities it serves closer together under one common cause.
“We are very excited to have crossed the $1 billion annual sales milestone and owe a big thank you to our loyal customers and all our franchisees and team members at the store level who deliver on our brand promise each and every day,” says Tony Libardi, co-CEO and president of Marco’s Pizza. “We’ve grown from humble beginnings as a small, regional concept to a nationally accredited brand, and as we continue to expand our footprint, we will never lose sight of those neighborhoods that have made Marco’s their pizza of choice. It’s because of our long history working together with communities across the U.S. that the Foundation is now a reality.”
The Marco’s Pizza Foundation will bring people together to nurture and nourish local communities and will serve as a catalyst for collaboration in making the world better, little by little. The Foundation will support four key pillars: School & Education, Hunger Prevention & Nutrition, Workforce Development, and Entrepreneurship.
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From delivering complimentary meals to healthcare workers and first responders, providing lunches to local schools, fundraising to support local organizations and more, there are countless examples of how Marco’s stores have continuously stepped up and demonstrated true community involvement. By establishing the Foundation, Marco’s can do more together and have an even greater impact.
Marco’s now spans 1,100 stores across 33 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
With strong growth and performance, Marco’s now sets its sights on becoming the No. 4 brand in pizza as it experienced a 12.8 percent increase in year-over-year average unit volume (AUV), and the Top 50 percent of Marco’s franchised stores generated $1,198,201 AUV for 2021.
Marco’s franchise expansion also continues to accelerate with more than 200 stores in various stages of development. Company leadership is prioritizing investments in enhancing the franchise development program, new technology, personnel, strategic vendor partnerships, multi-channel national advertising, and more—all with an eye on maximizing franchisee profits while meeting the needs of today’s modern customer.
For example, Marco’s recently announced the investment of millions of dollars in technology innovations over the next few years designed to create business efficiencies, maximize order growth, and improve the customer experience. Areas of investment include AI-enabled voice-to-text ordering and automated promise times, integration with third-party delivery services, migrating to a 100 percent cloud-based order management system, plus testing automated kitchen innovations and new operational equipment.
“Marco’s wouldn’t be reaching this enormous milestone if it weren’t for our entire team coming together to deliver on a strong business model, quality food, exceptional service, and compassion to our communities,” says Libardi. “From the franchise support staff, store owners, team members, and everyone in between, our achievements are a result of a collective dedication to our mission and local communities.”
