Marco's Pizza facts for kids
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Marco's Pizza, Van Buren Township, Michigan
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Trade name
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Marco's Pizza |
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| Private | |
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1978 in Oregon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Founder | Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco, |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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 1,052 |
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Area served
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Key people
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| Products | |
| Revenue | US$3 billion (FY 2020) |
| Owner | Jack Butorac |
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Number of employees
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20,000 (2021) |
Marco's Pizza is a popular American restaurant chain. It is known for its delicious Italian-American cuisine, especially pizza. The company is based in Toledo, Ohio.
The very first Marco's Pizza opened its doors on February 18, 1978. It was started by an Italian immigrant named Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco. As of July 2024, Marco's Pizza has grown a lot. There are now over 1,000 stores. You can find them across the United States, including Puerto Rico. They also have locations in the Bahamas, India, and Mexico.
Marco's Pizza has received many awards over the years. In 2016, Pizza Today magazine ranked it among the top 10 pizza companies in the U.S.
Contents
History of Marco's Pizza
How Marco's Pizza Started
Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco, the founder of Marco's Pizza, was born in Sulmona, Italy. When he was nine years old, he moved to the United States. He grew up in Dearborn, Michigan. There, he worked in his family's pizzeria. Pat and his father created the special sauce recipe. This sauce is still used in all Marco's Pizza locations today.
Growing the Company
In 2002, a restaurant expert named Jack Butorac looked at Marco's Pizza. He saw that it had great potential to grow. He noticed that the pizza tasted amazing everywhere. However, the stores looked a bit different from each other. Butorac knew how to build big franchise companies. He saw a chance to make Marco's Pizza a national brand.
Butorac started working with Pat Giammarco. In January 2004, he took over the company's leadership. His goal was to make Marco's Pizza famous across the country.
The company began expanding nationwide in 2005. Under Butorac's leadership, Marco's Pizza grew very quickly. It more than doubled in size. It expanded to over 35 states, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and India. In 2017, Butorac received a special award. It was called the Golden Chain award. This award celebrates a lifetime of success in the restaurant business.
In 2016, Marco's Pizza and its president, Bryon Stephens, were featured on a TV show. It was called Undercover Boss on CBS. The episode was very popular, with 7.3 million viewers.
Partnership with Family Video
In 2013, Marco's Pizza teamed up with Family Video. Family Video was a company that rented movies. They started putting Marco's Pizza stores inside many Family Video locations. This allowed customers to get a movie and a pizza at the same time! This partnership ended when Family Video closed its business.
What's on the Menu?
Marco's Pizza offers many tasty options. You can order for delivery or pick-up. Some locations also let you dine in or offer catering for events.
The menu includes:
- Pizza
- Chicken wings
- Subs
- Salads
- CheezyBread
- CinnaSquares (dessert)
- Pizza bowls
- Ghirardelli brownies
Marco's has some special pizzas. One is called White Cheezy. This pizza won a gourmet competition in California. Other unique pizzas have included Chicken Florentine and Pepperoni Magnifico. The Fresco pizzas feature Marco's special giardiniera. This is an authentic Italian pepper relish.
Awards and Recognition
Marco's Pizza has earned many awards and high ratings.
- In 2017, Pizza Today listed Marco's Pizza as #8 among the Top 100 Pizza Chains.
- Franchise Times also named it #8 on its list of "Fast and Serious growth franchises."
- In 2014, Consumer Reports magazine named Marco's Pizza the #3 best pizza chain. This was based on surveys of customers. It was the first time Marco's Pizza appeared on this important list.
See also
