Marco's Pizza® Ignites Midwest Expansion with 15-Unit Agreement in Ohio and Indiana

Seasoned Franchising Group Diversifies their Portfolio with One of the Nation's Fastest-Growing Pizza Brands

TOLEDO, Ohio, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, announces a 15-unit signed development agreement, strengthening the Ohio-based company's presence across the Midwest. The agreement covers the resale of nine locations in northwest Ohio and the opening of 15 new locations in that same area and northeast Indiana.

The franchise group behind this signed agreement is a multi-unit, multi-brand group of business partners named Grube, Inc. Founded by Steve Grube who bought his first Buffalo Wild Wings over 20 years ago, the group has grown exponentially through multiple resale acquisitions and new location developments. Now, Grube Inc.'s food service portfolio includes 67 Buffalo Wild Wings locations in eight states and one Rusty Taco location in Maumee, OH.

As longtime customers of Marco's Pizza, Grube's leadership team knew the concept, the quality product, and proven business model aligned with their investment goals. The nine resale locations in the signed agreement were purchased from an existing owner, setting the Grube team up for an accelerated entry to a market where Marco's has an existing presence.

"I have the utmost confidence in this new journey with Marco's Pizza, as our team is committed to upholding the traditions of quality products, fresh ingredients, and a tight-knit community that makes Marco's so special," stated Steve Grube, President of Grube, Inc. "This deal marks a significant milestone for the Grube team as we enter the pizza market and expand our portfolio to reach more than 75 units, while deepening our footprint in the Midwest."

Marco's 2024 development strategy will center around multi-unit growth as leadership prioritizes franchisee relations and operational support with nearly half of its current franchise network comprised of multi-unit operators. Other key areas of opportunity lie in capitalizing on franchise growth in the nontraditional sector alongside international expansion.

"In alignment with our development strategy for multi-unit growth, this signed agreement puts Marco's on the fast track to reaching our growth goals," said Gerardo Flores, Chief Development Officer of Marco's Pizza. "The Grube team is a remarkable addition to the Marco's team as they have a proven track record of elevating other brands in their portfolio. We look forward to watching them foster sustained growth in new and existing markets."

As franchise development continues, leadership prioritizes a strong development support system, including technology and tools to help identify territories for expansion, plus support in real estate, construction management, field operations, and information related to financing. FRANdata, a leading research and advisory firm that analyzes the franchise market, reports Marco's 2023 FUND Score of 895 is in the top 1% of all evaluated franchise systems and is among the top three scores for all QSR brands.

The brand's impressive performance has earned multiple awards and recognition: Ranking in Newsweek's 2023 America's Best Customer Service in the pizza chains category, earning a spot on QSR's Top 50, appearing on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious Top 500 ranking, and most recently claiming the No. 48 spot on Entrepreneur's 2024 Franchise 500® ranking.

According to the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document, the Top 50% of Marco's franchised stores generated average net royalty sales of AUV $1,208,653 during the 2023 fiscal year*.

For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or contact Beth Heminger at [email protected], 866-731-8209.

ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA
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 operates approximately 1,200 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 48 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2024 "Franchise 500" ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek's 2023 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, earning a spot on QSR's Top 50, and being featured on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.

*Based on the Average Sales Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for our fiscal year 2023. Based on our fiscal year 2023. 185 of 447 Franchised Stores in the category (or 41%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document ("FDD") - please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Individual results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.

SOURCE Marco's Pizza