Marco’s Pizza announced the opening of its 1,200th store at 3831 Ruckriegel Parkway in Louisville, Kentucky. Behind the milestone opening is Marco’s largest franchisee, Hoogland Restaurant Group, led by President McLain Hoogland. The Hoogland team boasts a 117-unit Marco’s Pizza portfolio, with plans to grow their unit count by 20 this year.
McLain Hoogland is the fourth generation of his family to lead Highland Ventures, which includes the Hoogland Restaurant Group. Coming from a long line of family business leaders has instilled a passion for entrepreneurship in him at a young age. This experience, paired with his military background serving two combat tours in the Marines, equips him to lead and establish Hoogland Restaurant Group as the pizza brand’s largest franchisee.
In 2012, Hoogland Restaurant Group was established and began franchising with Marco’s, predominately growing its former Family Video business and Marco’s Pizza locations alongside each other. Now, with a new vision focused on pizza consumers, Hoogland Restaurant Group aims to grow its portfolio selecting prime territories for expansion as the company continues on its growth crusade. With a solid foundation and focus on modernization for the best results, the sky’s the limit for Hoogland and his team as they hone in on brand growth and development.
“With Marco’s there’s a clear vision for growth and now is the opportune time to invest and expand,” says Hoogland. “As we enter this period of high growth, we will continue to lean on the support of a strong leadership team, prioritize innovation to drive results, and spotlight our superior quality that continues to rival the competition. This is a special moment for the Hoogland team as our third store was actually Marco’s 300th milestone location. Fast forward, opening the 1200th store is an achievement that truly honors our company’s test of time and incredible growth with Marco’s.”
An official grand opening event and ribbon cutting ceremony takes place at the store on January 19 beginning at 10 a.m. Various local dignitaries have been invited to attend alongside members of the Marco’s Pizza leadership team, including Co-CEOs Jack Butorac and Tony Libardi, as the brand celebrates this milestone opening.
Marco’s is on the fast-track for continued rapid expansion with more than 100 stores in various stages of development and more than 170 agreements signed. With vast whitespace across the country, company leadership has identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations that are catching the attention of multi-unit operators looking to grow and diversify their portfolios.
“This opening holds great significance for our brand as multi-unit growth guides our 2024 development strategy with nearly half of the current franchise network comprised of multi-unit operators,” adds Gerardo Flores, Chief Development Officer of Marco’s Pizza. “McLain and his team have been a tremendous franchise partner who continue to double down on their investment and expand across the country; it’s clear they see great strength and promise with Marco’s.”
As franchise development surges, leadership prioritizes a strong development support system, including technology and tools to help identify the right territories for expansion, plus financing, real estate, construction management support, and field operations to assist franchisees and multi-unit operators.
Alongside impressive expansion, Marco’s is prioritizing investments in new technology, innovation, leadership expertise, strategic partnerships, product quality and variety, multi-channel national advertising, and more – all with an eye on maximizing franchisee profits while meeting the needs of today’s modern customer.
According to the brand’s Franchise Disclosure Document, the Top 5 percent of Marco’s franchised stores generated average net royalty sales of $1,222,684 during the 2022 fiscal year*.
Marco’s offers a long-term incentive for multi-unit owners, including franchisee fee discounts, reduced royalties, and growth acceleration bonuses.
