Marco’s Pizza Announces Expansion Plans for Knoxville, Tennessee

One of the fastest-growing pizza franchise chains in the nation is seeking entrepreneurs in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area

To meet the growing demand for pizza in the Knoxville, Tennessee, metropolitan area, Marco’s Pizza® franchise is seeking to partner with entrepreneurs who want a slice of the action.

Just how big is the demand for pizza in Knoxville, Tennessee? The Department of Agriculture recently published a study on American eating habits that found that on any given day, 13% of the entire U.S. population is eating pizza. When applied to the Knoxville, Tennessee, metropolitan area — population 699,097 — that means that more than 90,000 people around Knoxville are eating pizza every single day.

With Marco’s Pizza, those 90,000 people can have the best. We take pride in knowing that our pizza franchise owners make the best pizza money can buy. Ours is hand-made in the Italian tradition, using fresh, never-frozen cheeses. The dough is made in stores daily, and we use only premium meats and vegetables. Founded in Toledo in 1978, Marco’s Pizza is the only Top 20 pizza chain founded by a native Italian. Our pizza franchise has enjoyed significant growth in recent years and is on pace to open 1,000 restaurants by the early 2017.

“Our franchisees come from a remarkably wide variety of backgrounds. But there’s a common thread among our franchisees — passion for the Marco’s product. Almost half of them were Marco’s consumers first. They fell in love with our product,” says Cameron Cummins, Vice President of Development for Marco’s Pizza. “We’re looking forward to partnering with like-minded entrepreneurs in Knoxville, Tennessee.”

We’re growing faster than the overall pizza industry

Marco’s Pizza has the fastest-growing unit growth, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, who included our beloved pizza franchise as part of its Second 100 List, which analyzes businesses that are smaller but are focusing on growing around the nation.

The publication states that while the pizza industry is mature and growth is limited, Marco’s is the exception. Not only is Marco’s Pizza growing faster than other pizza franchises, on pace to open its 1,000th location in early 2017, Marco’s Pizza sales growth also is higher than any other pizza franchise.

How does the Marco’s Pizza franchise support its owners?

Starting out at Marco’s Pizza franchise doesn’t require previous restaurant business experience. New franchisees will spend about six weeks in a Marco’s University pizza store, learning how to make the dough from scratch and how much sauce, cheese, and toppings to put on each pizza. There’s a science to the perfect dough, and the brand shares it with its owners in its state-of-the-art kitchen.

Business skills are also on the training agenda: conflict management, leadership, financing, market analysis, insurance requirements, and leasing issues. The brand provides guidance in every area of running a Marco’s Pizza franchise with the goal of ensuring the success of its owners. To that end, if franchisees aren’t quite ready at the end of six weeks to run their own operations, they may spend another two weeks in the training store to build skills and confidence.

Marco’s Pizza franchise seeks sociable, passionate entrepreneurs in Knoxville, Tennessee

Marco’s opened its 500th location in 2013, its 600th restaurant in 2014, and is on pace to open its 1,000th location in early 2017. The investment required to start a Marco’s Pizza franchise is typically about $350,000. We are looking for people who have a net worth of $150,000 and a minimum liquidity of $100,000. We are seeking people in Knoxville, Tennessee, who understand and believe in the Marco’s product — welcoming, sociable people who remember customers’ names and welcome them as they walk into the restaurant. Marco’s is the perfect opportunity for people who are self-motivated and who want to be their own boss while making a difference in Knoxville.

Learn more about Marco’s Pizza

For in-depth details about the Marco’s franchise opportunity, download our free franchise report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages.