Steve’s breakdown: Marco’s Pizza plans on moving up a spot in the pizza market. Going from 5th to 4th is going to take some smart advertising, public relations and the line “Pizza Lovers Get It” is not going to cut it. They have a great ad agency but we think they need a new campaign to get to #4. Maybe PR.

The country’s fifth-largest pizza brand, which has some 1,000 locations and more than 200 currently in development, plans to grow to 1,500 stores by 2023. It also projects to reach $1 billion in annual systemwide sales in 2022 after closing out 2021 with robust systemwide growth and store-level performance.

Marco’s said it is investing millions of dollars in technology innovations through the next few years as part of it plan to grow and become the fourth-largest brand in pizza. Marco’s has been pushing forward several innovation initiatives and pilot programs, including rapid adoption of third-party delivery, and utilizing AI for voice-to-text ordering and generating automated promise times. It also is testing robotic kitchen innovations, ghost kitchens and new operational equipment.

“The success we’ve seen is the result of a collective effort of the incredible franchisees and team members at the store level who deliver on our brand promise each and every day, our committed Support Center, our loyal guests and the executive leadership team,” said Tony Libardi, co-CEO & president of Marco’s Pizza. “There’s never been a more opportune time for both existing and prospective franchisees to grow with Marco’s. With plenty of territories available for growth, our development and performance strategy remain centered on finding multi-unit franchisees who align with our business strategy and culture, while continuing to prioritize innovation and maximize unit-level profitability.”

Marco’s is investing millions of dollars in technology innovations through the next few years as it grows to be the fourth largest brand in pizza. At its 2021 Franchise Convention, CXO Steve Seyferth and CIO Rick Stanbridge discussed how Marco’s is navigating this digital world and exploring technologies that create a better customer and employee experience while at the same time helping to improve store-level profitability.

Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s was founded in 1978 and has grown from its roots as an Ohio brand to operate more than 1,000 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

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