STRATEGIC PARTNERS
Marco's Pizza is targeting Texas for growth.
March 23, 2016
Marco's Pizza is targeting Texas for growth. With more than 40 franchise locations open and operating throughout the region, the company has announced plans to open 127 additional locations through franchise partnerships in the next four years. The locations will create more than 2,000 new jobs throughout the state, according to a company press release.
New Marco's Pizza locations will open under the leadership of Justin Tarrant, Robert Piña and Akash Gupta. All are area representatives and multi-unit franchisees. Tarrant oversees 13 locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, Piña owns and operates nine and oversees seven locations throughout southern Texas, and Akash owns two locations in Austin. Already working toward their expansion goals, several locations are in different stages in development, including locations in Tyler, Cibolo, Waco, and Burleson.
"With an intimate knowledge of the Marco's Pizza brand and extensive experience in the restaurant industry, each development team in the state is well positioned to grow," Tarrant said. "Akash, Robert and I are all eager to find local business leaders to bring this growing concept to their town. With their help, pizza lovers throughout Texas will quickly find out that ours is unlike any other pizza franchise out there. Our product is hands-down the best quality and our customer service outmatches the competition."
Targeted development markets in Texas include San Antonio, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, and Beaumont. On the north side of the state, Tarrant notes the DFW area can open an additional 45 locations, including four in Arlington, two in both Saginaw and Denton, and one location each in Weatherford, Sulfur Springs, Greenville, and Paris.
Mid-state, Piña stated San Antonio can accommodate 25 additional Marco's Pizza locations, Beaumont can open six, and Houston can open 40 additional stores in the next four years. Gupta stated Austin can open 30 restaurants. With seven open in Austin and the surrounding suburbs currently, five new locations are on track to open in 2016 and six the next year, bringing the total to 18 by year end 2017. Cities for expansion include Killeen, San Marcos, Temple, and Bryan College Station.
"In the past few years, prime real estate has become available in all of these booming markets, making it much easier for potential multi-unit franchisees who would like to open locations grouped closely together," said Cameron Cummins, chief development officer at Marco's Pizza. "We are still at the ground floor of our development in the Lone Star State, making it an exciting expansion region for us. I am confident the team's ability to build the Marco's Pizza brand, growing our footprint throughout key markets across Texas."
