Marco’s Pizza Franchise Review: Longtime Owner Dan Cutillo

Marco’s Pizza founder Pat Giammarco mentored longtime pizza franchise owner Dan Cutillo, co-winner of the company’s first-ever Legacy Award

Marco’s Pizza® has surpassed the 600-store mark, and we’re well on our way to our goal of 1,000. We have many new franchisees on board, yet some of our earliest partners are still with us — sharing fond memories of the days when they worked with the founder himself, Pat Giammarco.

Dan Cutillo is one of our longtime owners. Dan, Eric Bueter, and Angelo Ialacci are the three recipients of our inaugural Legacy Award; together the three of them boast 86 years of experience and 31 stores.

Dan, who was a defensive tackle for Ohio State from 1971 to 1973, came to Marco’s Pizza after a career in the insurance business. He had bought an agency in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and eventually decided he didn’t like the insurance business. It did, though, provide him with an invaluable education that helped him on his journey to multi-unit Marco’s Pizza success.

Dan acquired his first Marco’s Pizza franchise in Clyde, Ohio, in October 1987. That was followed six months later by the Port Clinton, Ohio, opening. Later Pat Giammarco sold him a successful store in Genoa, Ohio. Dan now owns 12 franchises in Ohio. His wife, Barbara, whose family has a history of success in the insurance industry, stood with Dan throughout his career with Marco’s — despite her initial unease about opening a pizza franchise.

What was it about Marco’s Pizza in the ’80s that attracted you to the franchise?

It was (founder) Pat Giammarco. I saw him on the front cover of a magazine insert in The Toledo Blade wearing his Marco’s hat in front of a stack of pizza boxes. At the time we were looking at other franchising brands, but my wife knew an attorney working with Pat. I felt confident enough in Pat when I first met him that I made the decision to go with Marco’s. Pat is very smart, very sharp, and very shrewd. With his support I knew I was going to make it.

We had been married for eight or nine years. My firstborn daughter was 3 years old, and we had another who was coming up on her first birthday. Bailing out of the insurance industry was tough for my wife to wrap her head around because her father did so well in that business. So Marco’s had to work. It just had to work.

My first store was an existing store in Clyde, Ohio. I bought it in October 1987. The early days were really difficult, but Marco’s franchise owners are all stout-minded individuals who cannot be denied, whether it’s a staffing or an equipment issue. It’s a tough gig, and I’m happy to be recognized with this Legacy Award.

We bought another store in Port Clinton, Ohio, in April 1988. Nearly three years later, Pat sold us his Genoa, Ohio, store that was doing really well — and it’s been doing really well for us. The numbers were tight in Clyde and Port Clinton, but the Genoa store had cash flow that other stores didn’t enjoy. That gave us breathing room to infuse more consistent advertising.

Pat Giammarco watched every move I made, and I prided myself in being a good lieutenant. If I was not a good lieutenant, then I was not a good franchisee.

Besides Pat, who helped you along the way?

Brandon Smith began working for me when he was dating my daughter. Now he’s my son-in-law and Vice President of Operations. It’s a big responsibility, and he’s the glue who’s going to get us into a lot of big opportunities.

Barbara, my wife, is hugely responsible for the success of our company. She’s very smart and very conservative with our money. She’s been the backbone and has made us a very viable company.

I should also mention two young ladies who came into my Clyde store when they were in high school, Connie Beeker and Benny Smith. They were unbelievable pizza makers and helped me run my Clyde store. They bought me enough time to get through the initial first few months and gave me a chance.

What are some of the unique ways you introduce Marco’s Pizza to your markets?

It’s a critical move to work with the schools in the community. What better way to attract more business? Who commands the purse in every household? It’s the sons and daughters. Winning the hearts and minds of your community involves catering to church groups, service clubs, and schools. I signed 1,500 — maybe even 2,000 — gift certificates for the Boy Scouts in Genoa. We gave out free pizza and free cheese bread. Sometimes, you have to give away products anytime anybody asks. There may be a family helping another family due to sickness or a family with a returning serviceman.

None of the Marco’s owners are takers. I wasn’t raised that way, and I don’t expect my store to be that way.

Learn more about owning a Marco’s Pizza franchise

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.