Marco's Pizza® Franchisee Stephanie Moseley Named 2022 Franchisee of the Year by International Franchise Association

TOLEDO, Ohio, March 2, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, announces that one of its standout multi-unit franchisees, Stephanie Moseley, is the recipient of the International Franchise Association's (IFA) prestigious Franchisee of the Year Award. The annual recognition honors a select group of franchisees who have demonstrated excellence within the franchise community. Moseley proudly represents Marco's as the only pizza brand franchisee to be recognized among this year's winners.

The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA's partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchisees who exemplify at least one of IFA's "Open for Opportunity" core pillars: Community, Workforce, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Veterans. The winners are presented during the association's annual convention award ceremony, Feb. 29 - March 1 in San Diego, California.

"I'm honored and humbled to receive the IFA's award and owe everyone who has been there to support me a tremendous amount of gratitude for their hard work, dedication, excellence, and commitment to the business," said Moseley. "This is such a huge achievement for me as it validates that my efforts have not gone unnoticed. My Marco's franchising experience presents such a unique opportunity to grow a business portfolio and give back to your community in ways that truly matter.  Marco's has been a great blessing in my life and has been a vessel for God to use me to bless others.  With three stores open, one opening next month, two more in development to open by the end of 2022, and another four to open from there, this is a remarkable journey and I continue to look forward to an even brighter future with Marco's Pizza!"

Moseley didn't join Marco's Pizza just to own one store; she acted on an opportunity to become a multi-unit, empire builder from the start. Her story embodies the American Dream through and through - providing a true representation of the power and opportunity that lies in franchising.

She credits her Air Force background for her ability to remain steadfast and focused on growth and opportunity, even in the face of uncertainty. Moseley spent seven years as an Air Force intelligence analyst with top-secret clearance, running a division that oversaw the highest – and fastest – flying reconnaissance aircraft ever built. In this role, she learned how to apply critical and analytical thinking in decision-making. A former Air Force Captain, her military experience transitioned into a career in pharmaceutical and biotech sales, and into entrepreneurship and allowed her to achieve growth and long-term success over the years even amid the ongoing global pandemic.

"As a veteran myself, this is a proud moment – having the opportunity to nominate Stephanie for her tremendous success with Marco's and to see her win on the big stage among some of the top performers in all of franchising," said Tony Libardi, Co-CEO & President of Marco's Pizza. "Her passion and commitment to Marco's is simply unparalleled. From being the first to volunteer and pilot new initiatives, to taking on additional leadership roles, to embracing our People-First approach to business, Stephanie has proven herself as a standout performer with a track record of excellence which has set the foundation for continued growth and opportunity. With Stephanie and others, Marco's continues its long history of providing specific franchise purchase incentives to support both veterans and first responders."

With three thriving Marco's locations in Virginia – Newport News, Suffolk and Yorktown – Moseley is well on her way to owning a desired 10 locations and growing her pizza empire. She is eagerly awaiting the opening of her next location, to debut in April in downtown Newport News. This unique location will provide Marco's Pizza as a lunch and dinner option on the Newport News Shipbuilding campus, which is the largest industrial employer in Virginia and sole designer, builder, and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy submarines. With strong ties to the military community, Moseley is looking forward to getting back to her roots and servicing the military in a new way with Marco's.

Marco's is experiencing explosive growth, record-breaking double-digit same-store-sales increases year-over-year, and continues to pilot new programs – investing millions of dollars into technology and innovation – to sustain its performance. On track to reach $1B in annual systemwide sales in 2022, eager and sophisticated entrepreneurs and multi-unit operators are flocking to the franchise opportunity, as now nearly half of the franchise network is made up of multi-unit owners.

The brand continues to grow at a rapid pace, setting a development goal of 1,500 units open by 2023 as it sets sights on becoming the No. 4 brand in pizza. According to FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, Marco's 2021 FUND Score is in the top 1% of all evaluated franchise systems and is among the top three scores for all QSR brands. The Top 50% of Marco's franchised stores generated $1,059,574 AUV for 2020*.

For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or call 866-731-8209.

ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA 
Marco's Pizza is America's Most Loved and Most Trusted Pizza Brand, according to the 2019 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,000 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 2 in the Pizza category on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2022 "Franchise 500" ranking, and No. 4 in the Fastest Growing category on Restaurant Business' 2021 "Top 10 Fastest Growing Chains" ranking. Other recent accolades include a first-time presence on Newsweek's 2022 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, ranked No. 42 on QSR's Top 50 and has been featured five consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.

*Based on the Average Unit Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for fiscal year 2020. Based on fiscal year 2020, 142 of 369 Franchised Stores in the category (38%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2021 FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.

SOURCE Marco's Pizza