Franchising

Marco's marks milestone: 1,000th store,

It's been a long and proud journey to 1,000 stores for Marco's Pizza.

Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco, founder of Marco's Pizza, rolls up his sleeves to toss some dough in the kitchen of the 1000th store in Kissimmee, Florida. (Photo provided)

October 21, 2020

Toledo, Ohio-based Marco's Pizza opened store No. 1,000 in Kissimmee, Florida today. The brand's path to 1,000 stores began with founder, Pasquale Giammarco, to this milestone opening by immigrant entrepreneurs, franchisees Kattya Barbaran and Rafi Vargas, according to a news release.

In 1978, Giammarco founded Marco's Pizza and grew his restaurant into a brand serving communities throughout Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. In the mid-2000s, Marco's consultant, franchisee and former CEO, Jack Butorac, began leading a process toward the 1,000-store mark.

"Watching this company grow from our roots in Ohio to a beloved pizza brand across the country has been nothing short of remarkable," Butorac said in the release. "We have the best quality product in the industry, a tremendous leadership team, a group of exceptionally dedicated franchise partners and hard-working team members. As all these factors come together, we become an unstoppable force."

Thousandth-store franchisees, Barbaran and Vargas both immigrated to the U.S. used their industry experience and work ethic to become the honored store operators in Florida.

"Growing up as a young child in the Dominican Republic, never did I think I'd someday have the opportunity to own my own business," said Vargas. "This was made possible by finding an exceptional partner in Kattya —someone so dedicated and passionate, who shared an entrepreneurial mindset, that would propel us to open this milestone store."

"While life throws you numerous challenges, your success lies in your ability to rise above the circumstances, remain determined and put your people first," said Barbaran. "Despite our hardships and in the face of a global pandemic, this is exactly what we did — and it allowed us the opportunity to achieve this dream we've both had since childhood."

Despite the pandemic, Marco's remained committed to growth in 2020 — opening 51 stores thus far, with upwards of 80 locations expected to open total this year. Plus, it has 89 new store commitments in the pipeline.

"Marco's is a People-First organization — meaning that we're only as strong as our franchisees, dedicated team members and loyal customers," said Tony Libardi, President & COO of Marco's Pizza. "We have built an incredible culture that continues to strengthen as we expand our nationwide footprint, and this is just the start of the tremendous growth opportunities that lie ahead."

"Marco's has come a long way from its humble beginnings — a story of hard work, grit and resilience," said Butorac. "I remember in my early conversations with Founder Pat [Giammarco] saying 'you have a 1,000-store concept here,' and to see this historic moment come to life, is truly an honor."

Marco's has been opening a new store, on average, every three-and-a-half days, and the top 50% of its franchised stores generated $918,047 AUV for 2019, the brand said in the release.