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Marco’s Pizza puts emphasis on veterans

May 16, 2016

Marco's Pizza is going the extra mile to make franchises opportunities for the nation's veterans. Executives at the pizza restaurant said they have had great success with the military veterans who've already come into the fold as franchise operators, so they're going a step further.

This month, they announced the appointment of U.S. Army veteran Scott Quagliata to the newly created role of vice president of veterans' program and recruiting. In this position, Quagliata will work to attract military veterans into the Marco's Pizza franchise system and then help them thrive in those roles.

Marco's Top Franchisee of 2015 was U.S. Army veteran Joe Walker, who served in Iraq and joined Marco's when he returned just five years ago. Today, Walker operates 16 locations with four more in development. That's the kind of success that prompted Marco's executives to hire Quagliata in an effort to offer similar opportunities to other former military personnel.

"Coming from outside of the pizza world with a strong military background, Scott brings with him distinctive leadership skills that will take our recruitment efforts to new heights," said Marco's Pizza President and Chief Operating Officer Bryon Stephens. "He brings a personal connection that aligns with the Marco's commitment to the military community. He understands firsthand the transition of military veterans and the benefits of joining a proven franchise system."

Quagliata will also be key in getting an apprenticeship program off the ground later this year to help those with less-than-adequate means get into entrepreneurship with Marco's. The program will offer training, mentorship and financing to qualified candidates, including Marco's Pizza employees.

Quagliata joins the organization during a major growth spurt. This year alone, Marco's plans to open 150 new stores to reach 1,000 locations by 2017.