- 2025 Franchise 500 Rank
-
#49 Ranked #48 last year
- Initial investment
-
$287K - $807K
- Units as of 2025
-
1,248 13.1% over 3 years
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale “Pat” Giammarco, Marco’s Pizza has always stayed true to its roots: a dedication to fresh
ingredients, premium dough made daily in-store, and a crave-worthy recipe that continues to stand the test of time. Now with more than 1,200 locations across 35 states and growing international presence in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and
the Bahamas, Marco’s has cemented its reputation as one of the most attractive and attainable franchise opportunities in the QSR space.
Do you have what it takes to create a slice of pizza heaven in your community?
Why You May Want to Start a Marco's Pizza Franchise
Marco’s continues to raise the bar with bold menu innovation, a strong operational foundation, and one of the most franchisee-forward support models in the industry.
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur looking to grow or diversify your portfolio, or someone seeking a first-time franchise investment, Marco’s offers a turnkey system with comprehensive training, a proprietary cloud-based operating platform, and hands-on support across marketing, operations, technology, and more. Plus, our newly launched
Franchise Development Royalty Incentive Program gives new and expanding franchisees an early-stage boost – with royalty rates starting at 0%*, real estate and construction assistance, and strong operational support.
What Might Make a Marco's Pizza Franchise a Good Choice?
Marco’s was named America’s Favorite Restaurant in the Limited-Service Pizza category by Nation’s Restaurant News using 2024 Technomic Ignite Consumer data**, a recognition that speaks directly to the brand’s consistent quality and
customer satisfaction.
Franchisees benefit from a model built for scalability – with a modern store design, upgraded tech stack, and a leadership team focused on delivering best-in-class support. Marco’s strong relationships with preferred lenders and its
2025 FRANdata TopScore FUND Award win make it easier than ever to access capital, and veterans may qualify for discounted franchise fees.
If you’re financially prepared for an initial investment, including a franchise fee and startup costs, and meet the brand’s liquidity and net worth requirements, you could be well-positioned to join a brand with staying power. Due diligence is encouraged, including conversations with current franchisees, financial advisors, and attorneys, to determine if Marco’s is the right fit for your goals and market.
How To Open a Marco's Pizza Franchise
Getting started is simple. Submit an ownership application and, if qualified, review our executive summary before connecting with a member of our Franchise Development team. From there, you’ll participate in a series of interviews and store tours, culminating in a virtual Discovery Day where you’ll meet leadership, ask questions, and gain insight from current franchisees.
Once awarded a location, you’ll gain access to a full suite of onboarding tools, training programs, and ongoing support to help you open strong and scale with confidence. There’s never been a better time to grow with Marco’s. Marco’s Pizza delivers more than great food – it delivers a franchise opportunity built for long-term growth.
*The information provided in this article should not be construed as an offer to sell any Marco’s Pizza® franchises in, nor is any such communication directed to, the
residents of any jurisdiction requiring registration of the franchise before it is offered and sold in that jurisdiction. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and
sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Marco’s Pizza® franchises will not be sold to any resident of such jurisdiction until the offering has been exempted from the requirements of, or duly registered in and declared effective by, such jurisdiction and the required franchise disclosure document (if applicable) has been delivered to the prospective franchisee before the sale in compliance with applicable law. Additionally, the participant must meet our financial, creditworthiness, and operational criteria to qualify for the incentive program and be approved by us to open each Store. If the franchisee is a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, or other legal entity, the qualifying participant must maintain at least 50% ownership in the entity, as well as the qualifying existing Stores, to qualify for this program, and the franchisee must comply with program requirements. In the event the participant fails at any time to meet the timelines to qualify for the applicable incentive program while developing a Store, the Store being developed and any remaining unopened Stores to be developed will pay the then-current standard Royalty Fee rate. See Marco’s Franchising’s Franchise Disclosure Document for more information. To qualify for the incentive program, the participant must sign a development agreement and open the stores within the following timeframes: 1 st Store within 365 days of signing; 2 nd Store within 6 months of 1 st store opening; 3 rd Store within 6 months of 2 nd store opening; 4 th
Store within 6 months of 3 rd store opening; 5 th Store within 6 months of 4 th store opening.
**According to Technomic’s 2024 America’s Favorite Restaurants data, Marco’s Pizza secured the top spot in the Limited-Service Pizza category with a 53.4% composite top-box rating, indicating the share of recent guests who gave the brand the highest possible rating for each of the guest experience attributes. Data for America’s Favorite Chains comes from Technomic Ignite Consumer, which collects information about how brands impact consumers and how consumers interact with those brands, via online surveys. See here for more information: www.technomic.com/ignite-consumer.
Company Overview
About Marco's Pizza
Business Overview
Franchising Since | 1979 (46 years) |
---|---|
# of employees at HQ | 180 |
Where seeking |
This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Asia, Middle East, Europe (Western), Central America, Canada, South America, Mexico |
# of Units | 1,248 (as of 2025) |
|
Information for Franchisees
Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Marco's Pizza franchise.
Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees
Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.
Initial Franchise Fee
|
$25,000 |
---|---|
Initial Investment
|
$286,727 - $807,152 |
Net Worth Requirement
|
$600,000 |
Cash Requirement
|
$200,000 |
Veteran Incentives
|
$15,000 off franchise fee; franchise fee waived for veterans with 50%+ military service-connected disability rating |
Royalty Fee
|
5.5% |
Ad Royalty Fee
|
7% |
Term of Agreement
|
10 years |
Is franchise term renewable? | Yes |
Financing Options
Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.
Third Party Financing | Marco's Pizza has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory |
---|
Training & Support Offered
Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.
On-The-Job Training | 280 hours |
---|---|
Classroom Training | 74 hours |
Ongoing Support |
Newsletter
Meetings & Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Security & Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
Franchisee Intranet Platform
|
Marketing Support |
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social Media
SEO
Website Development
Email Marketing
Loyalty Program/App
|
Operations
Additional details about running this franchise.
Is absentee ownership allowed? | No |
---|---|
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit?
|
No |
Can this franchise be run part time?
|
No |
# of employees required to run | 20-25 |
Are exclusive territories available?
|
Yes |
Franchise 500 Ranking History
Compare where Marco's Pizza landed on this year's Franchise 500 Ranking versus previous years.
Additional Rankings
Curious to know where Marco's Pizza ranked on other franchise lists? Find out below.
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