Why Having an Italian Founder Makes a Difference for a Pizza Franchise
‘Ah-thentic’ pizza franchise was inspired by genuine Italian cuisine
When native Italian Pat Giammarco opened his first Marco’s in Toledo, Ohio, in 1978, he was inspired by the attention to detail the Italians pay to cuisine. Thirty-five years later, Marco’s Pizza franchise is still producing the same artisan-quality “Ah-thentic” Italian pizzas, every time.
Marco’s is the only national pizza chain founded by a native Italian, and that shows in our ongoing dedication to quality. We use fresh, never-frozen, always 100% genuine cheese. We use premium meats and vegetable toppings prepared fresh in the store. Our sauce blend is made from a hybrid tomato developed especially for Marco’s. And our dough is famously made fresh in-store every day.
Some of the big pizza chains have been touting their own dedication to quality ingredients lately. They don’t mention that not so long ago, some of them were using only pre-fab crusts and not-quite-genuine cheese — there is a substance known as “cheese for pizza” that can’t legally be called just “cheese.”
At Marco’s, we never strayed into that territory. Pat Giammarco spent his early childhood in Italy, absorbing the care and attention that went into the food. He wanted that same tradition to be a part of Marco’s. He was committed to excellence when he started and never strayed from his promise of quality. We are still committed to that same level of excellence today. The brand continues to grow at a rapid pace — we’re the fastest growing pizza franchise in the country — because customers know they can always count on us for a quality pizza.
Former pro football player Lewis Howes wrote about the pursuit of excellence in Entrepreneur recently:
“I know a number of people who have experienced overnight success with a product or startup, but allowed their success to fool them into thinking they were special. They neglected the critical business feedback they received from their partners and clients.
Once an entrepreneur stops growing, learning and being open to feedback, it can spell the end of his or her business.”
The feedback for Marco’s is usually outstanding. In a study we commissioned by Proctor & Gamble test kitchen MRSI, 72% of people who tried Marco’s pizza said they’d purchase it again — more than twice the intent to repurchase of the other pizza delivery franchises the kitchen tested.
CEO and President Jack Butorac joined Marco’s in 2004 after more than 30 years in restaurant franchising, and he instinctively knew from the start that Marco’s had tremendous opportunity for growth if it stayed true to its core values. He has maintained our commitment to quality, helped hone our systems and grown the brand to some 379 stores in 29 states.
We are on track to hit the 400-store mark this year. But we still have many territories available for franchisees, unlike some of our big-name competitors. We’re actively seeking franchisees who are passionate, dedicated to success and only want to associate with a brand they can always be proud of. If that’s you, please fill out the form at right to download our free franchise report or call 1-800-262-7267. There’s always room for the right candidates at Marco’s Pizza!
