Brand Shoutouts
The only top-five pizza chain founded by a native Italian — and why that's the reason #1 in customer satisfaction two straight years makes complete sense.
By Justin K. Sellers · 8 min read · April 29, 2026
Marco's Pizza earned #1 in Limited-Service Pizza in Technomic's 2025 America's Favorite Restaurants data — a 54.6% composite top-box rating, the highest share of recent guests giving the brand the strongest possible scores across food quality, flavor, and overall satisfaction. This is the second consecutive year Marco's has held that position. The brand also landed #2 on Newsweek's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards for Best Pizza Chain and is the only brand among the top five pizza chains in America to appear on Newsweek's 2025 America's Best Customer Service list.
Marco's is not a challenger brand trying to break through. It is a 1,200-unit national franchise, headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, targeting more than 80 new openings in 2026. And it is achieving this while maintaining the same quality fundamentals — dough made fresh daily, a sauce recipe developed by the founder and blended in-store, a proprietary three-cheese blend that is never frozen — that Pat Giammarco built into the first location in 1978.
That is the signal. This is not a brand that built quality into the marketing and then optimized it away. The product earning #1 in customer satisfaction is the same product built into 1,200 franchise locations. That is exceptionally difficult to sustain at national scale. And it is exactly why Marco's deserves serious operator analysis.
Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco was born in Sulmona, Italy, in the Abruzzo region. He came to America at age nine with his family and grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, where he worked in his family's pizzeria. In those kitchens, he and his father developed the sauce recipe that would later become Marco's foundation — made from fresh Roma tomatoes with herbs and spices imported from Italy.
In the summer of 1978, Giammarco was driving through northwest Ohio on the way to a friend's wedding in Monroe, Michigan, when he stopped in Toledo to rent a tuxedo. He noticed the area and saw a market without an authentic Italian pizzeria. He was 26 years old. He signed a lease on a storefront on Starr Avenue in Oregon, Ohio, just east of Toledo. On February 18, 1978, Marco's Pizza opened.
The early years were deliberate. Marco's grew slowly through Ohio, then into Indiana and Michigan. By 1996, the chain had 100 units. By 2003, it had settled below 120 — not from weakness, but from philosophy:
"If we took everyone with money who was interested, we would probably have 1,000 stores. But 900 of them would be failures. It's a time to build from within." — Pat Giammarco, Toledo Blade, 2001
That is not a growth strategy. It is a quality conviction. And it explains why Marco's spent its first 25 years as a careful regional operator rather than an aggressive national chain. Giammarco built the product before the footprint.
In 2002, Jack Butorac — a franchise operations veteran who had built Zapata's, Chi-Chi's, and Fuddruckers — was asked to analyze Marco's as a potential investment. He drove through Ohio and stopped at five Marco's stores in different cities. Different exteriors. Inconsistent signage. But the pizza was identical at every stop.
"It was delicious." — Jack Butorac, New York Times, 2014
Butorac purchased the franchise rights from Giammarco in 2004. At the time, Marco's had 123 stores. Giammarco retained a minority stake, continues to own franchise locations in northwest Ohio, and remains involved in concept development.
Today, Jack Butorac serves as Chairman and Co-CEO. Tony Libardi — who joined Marco's from Burger King, where he had run a $1 billion division overseeing 750 locations — was promoted to President and Co-CEO in January 2021. Under Libardi's leadership, the system doubled in unit count, moved to a single point-of-sale system, launched the brand's first national advertising program, and integrated third-party delivery.
The Marco's menu is built around three product commitments that distinguish it from every other major national pizza chain: dough made fresh in every store daily, sauce blended in-store from the recipe Giammarco developed with his father, and a proprietary three-cheese blend that is never frozen.
These are operational standards, not marketing claims. The brand enforces them across 1,200+ locations because they are the reason consumers rate Marco's above every other major pizza chain two years running.
Signature Items: - The Pepperoni Magnifico — cup-and-char Old World Pepperoni, signature sauce, three fresh cheeses - The Mike's Hot Honey Pepperoni Magnifico — the 2025 flagship LTO now permanent. Old World Pepperoni, crispy finish, Mike's Hot Honey drizzle - The Triple Pepperoni Magnifico — three pepperoni formats in one pizza, driven by consumer demand - The Margherita Magnifico — fresh mozzarella, bright basil drizzle, premium sauce - The White Cheezy — garlic butter, ricotta, and the three-cheese blend on a white base - The Chicken Florentine — chicken, fresh spinach, roasted garlic on a white base - CheezyBread — handcrafted dough, garlic butter, and cheese blend. A consistent top seller across the system - CinnaSquares — dessert made with the signature dough, cinnamon, and icing. Chocolate CinnaSquares featuring Ghirardelli chocolate launched 2024 - Topperstix (Pepperoni Bread) — pepperoni-layered breadstick with Romesan seasoning, introduced 2024The brand's approach to menu innovation is disciplined. New items build off the existing dough and sauce platform, maintaining operational simplicity while adding variety. Chef Kathleen Kennedy, named Director of Culinary Innovation in 2024, leads this work.
Marco's growth story is a study in what happens when product quality meets professional franchise infrastructure:
- 1978: Pat Giammarco opens the first location on Starr Avenue, Oregon, Ohio - 1996: Marco's reaches 100 units - 2004: Jack Butorac acquires the brand — 123 stores - 2020: 1,000th store opens in Kissimmee, Florida - 2024: System surpasses 1,200 units. 85 new franchise agreements awarded, 70 stores opened - October 27, 2025: First Lehigh Valley, PA location opens in Whitehall Township (2588 MacArthur Road) - 2025: 60+ new stores opened. Development agreement signed for New Mexico - February 23, 2026: First New Jersey location opens in Somerset (1135 Easton Ave). Franchisee Teepu Khan plans 7+ additional NJ/NYC locations - 2026: Targeting 80+ new store openings across domestic markets, international territories, and ghost kitchen formats
The signal that matters most: 65% of franchise agreements signed in 2024 came from existing franchisees. Those operators have seen the actual unit-level P&L. They are not making expansion decisions based on brand marketing. They voted with their capital.
FRANdata — the franchise industry's primary research firm — awarded Marco's its highest FUND Score among all QSR concepts and ranked it #1 in the pizza category for 2025. International expansion is active in Mexico City (50-unit master franchise agreement), Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas.
The brand's development leadership in 2025 added Brad Smith as VP of Franchise Growth, Bill Schaffler as CFO, and Steve Kennedy as CMO — executive infrastructure consistent with a brand preparing for sustained multi-year national expansion.
48 years of franchise operations means Marco's has a well-documented customer voice. The pattern at well-executed locations is consistent: customers notice the product quality immediately — and it is the specific detail of the pizza, not the brand name, that drives their loyalty.
On the Pizza:"Marco's is my 'go-to' place for pizza; their Triple Pepperoni Magnifico is addictive to me and I order it all the time." — Yelp reviewer, Cape Coral, FL
On the Full Experience:"My pizza came in about 25 min and was ordered after 10pm — not bad! Crust is soft and chewy with a great garlic parmesan flavor. Pepperoni pieces are small cups that are somewhat charred." — Yelp reviewer, Cape Coral, FL
Pattern: Customers at well-managed Marco's locations return to the same observation across dine-in, delivery, and late-night orders: the product quality is noticeably different from what the major national chains deliver. The word "addictive" appearing in unsolicited review language is a meaningful signal — it describes a customer response that is product-driven, not marketing-driven. What Technomic captures at the brand level, individual Yelp reviewers confirm at the experience level."Everyone at this location is kind and professional. The pizza is really good considering it is a chain. They offer good deals and the pizza is consistently delicious! My 4 year old says it's the best pizza ever! We've dined in and the staff is very attentive. We've also ordered delivery and they are quick and reliable." — Yelp reviewer, Cape Coral, FL
Technomic's 2025 America's Favorite Restaurants data is a nationally representative consumer research platform measuring real guest experiences. Marco's earning #1 in limited-service pizza for the second straight year means the quality standard Giammarco built in 1978 is holding across 1,200+ locations. That is the foundational investment thesis — verified by an independent source, not by Marco's own marketing.
2. The FDD transparency is a meaningful differentiator in a category full of opacity.Marco's discloses AUV data broken down by quartile for all 955 franchised stores that operated a full 52-week period in fiscal 2024. That is not a top-25% cherry-picked number. It is a full-system picture that lets prospective operators model realistic scenarios. In a pizza category where many brands withhold this data or share only favorable segments, Marco's disclosure is a due diligence advantage.
3. The 65% existing-franchisee re-investment rate is the clearest signal on unit economics available outside the FDD.When 65% of new franchise agreements come from operators already in the system, those operators have reviewed actual unit-level P&L data and are choosing to deploy more capital. That re-investment rate is the market's verdict on whether the economics work — more credible than any brand-produced financial projection.
4. The leadership transition has been managed cleanly, and the internal culture reinforces the product standard.Moving from Giammarco's quality-conviction founding phase, to Butorac's professional franchise infrastructure phase, to a co-CEO structure adding Libardi's Burger King-scale operational experience, is a clean three-act leadership arc. The brand has not lost direction during any of these transitions — growth has accelerated at each phase. Employee reviewers on Indeed and Glassdoor consistently note the product quality as a point of pride, confirming that the culture supports the product standard from the inside.
5. The brand's competitive moat is structural, not replicable.Marco's is the only top-five pizza chain founded by a native Italian. The three-cheese blend, the from-scratch daily dough, the in-store sauce — these are authentic operational commitments that Domino's, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut are not built to replicate at their scale. The moat is documented by consumers in Technomic's own data, not by Marco's claims about itself.
- Marco's holds the #1 consumer satisfaction rating in limited-service pizza for two straight years — verified by Technomic, the industry's leading consumer research firm, not by the brand's own survey - The 2025 FDD covers 955 franchised stores with full quartile AUV breakdown — one of the most transparent financial performance disclosures in the QSR pizza category - 65% of 2024 franchise agreements came from existing franchisees who have actual unit-level P&L access - FRANdata's highest FUND Score among all QSR concepts means the brand is rated #1 for financing-readiness — relevant to operators evaluating SBA loan prospects - Territory still available in major domestic markets where Domino's and Papa John's dominate but quality-differentiated competition does not yet exist
[DEEPDIVECTA url="/article/marcos-pizza-deep-dive/" btnLabel="Read the Full Marco's Pizza Deep Dive"] Want the full story? - Unit economics in detail: what the 2025 FDD's full quartile AUV breakdown reveals — and what the gap between top-25% and system average means for your market - The customer reality across 1,200 locations: how quality consistency holds (and where it breaks down) at scale - What employees across the system say about management, compensation, and what franchisees actually inherit - The complete leadership and ownership structure: Butorac, Libardi, Giammarco's role today, and what the co-CEO structure means for brand direction - Who this franchise is actually built for — and the specific operator profiles that should pass [/DEEPDIVECTA]
Every Brand Shoutout is built on independently sourced information:
- Financial Data: FDDs, industry rankings, analyst reports - Customer Reviews: Verified reviews 2024–2025 from newest locations - Leadership Information: Company sites, QSR Magazine, LinkedIn - Growth Metrics: Industry reporting, press releases - Operator Perspectives: Published franchisee interviews
We never ask brands for permission before publishing. Our job is independent analysis, not marketing.
Sponsors get placement, not editorial control. We write what the research shows.
This companion article draws on the same source base as our Marco's Pizza Deep Dive.
Key limitations remain:
- Full AUV quartile data below the top-50% tier: The 2025 FDD breaks AUV down by quartile for 955 stores, but the specific dollar figures below the top-50% threshold ($1.2M) are not publicly disclosed without the complete FDD. Operators should request Item 19 directly from Marco's Franchising to model the full system picture. - Fee structure detail: The initial investment ($286,727–$807,152), franchise fee ($25,000), royalty (5.5%), and marketing fee (7%) are disclosed on Marco's Franchising's own franchise development site. Request the full FDD from Marco's Franchising for the complete Item 7 cost category breakdown — furniture, equipment, technology, and grand opening fees itemized — before committing capital. - New Mexico opening date: Development agreement signed in 2025 but no specific opening city or timeline was publicly available at time of publication. - Giammarco's current ownership stake: The minority stake retained from the 2004 acquisition has not been updated in any publicly available source since the original transaction. His exact current ownership position is unconfirmed.
This research was produced independently. QSR Research Hub operates with full editorial independence from all brands and advertisers.
We receive no compensation from Marco's Pizza or Marco's Franchising, LLC for this coverage. No affiliate relationships, referral fees, or placement deals exist with this brand.
For weekly intelligence on QSR brands, operator deals, and franchise signals:
Subscribe to QSR Research Hub1. Marco's Pizza. "America's Favorite Pizza Chain: Marco's Pizza Ranks No. 1 in Limited-Service Pizza Category." PR Newswire, March 17, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americas-favorite-pizza-chain-marcos-pizza-ranks-no-1-in-limited-service-pizza-category-302715530.html 2. Marco's Pizza. "Marco's Pizza Named One of the Top Pizza Chains in America, Securing No. 2 Spot in Newsweek Ranking." PR Newswire, August 25, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcos-pizza-named-one-of-the-top-pizza-chains-in-america-securing-no-2-spot-in-newsweek-ranking-302536761.html 3. Marco's Pizza. "Marco's Pizza: The Only Top 5 Pizza Chain to Rank on Newsweek's Esteemed 2025 Best Customer Service List." PR Newswire, January 15, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcos-pizza-the-only-top-5-pizza-chain-to-rank-on-newsweeks-esteemed-2025-best-customer-service-list-302350684.html 4. Marco's Pizza. "Marco's Pizza Targets 80+ New Stores in 2026 After Disciplined Growth and Innovation in 2025." PR Newswire, March 4, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcos-pizza-targets-80-new-stores-in-2026-after-disciplined-growth-and-innovation-in-2025-302703879.html 5. Marco's Pizza. "Our Story." marcos.com/about-marcos/ https://www.marcos.com/about-marcos/ 6. Thompson, Lynne. "Rolling in Dough." Ohio Business Magazine. 2019/2020. https://ohiobusinessmag.com/rolling-in-dough/ 7. Marco's Pizza. "Marco's Pizza Celebrates 40 Years of Primo History." PR Newswire, August 7, 2018. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/marcos-pizza-celebrates-40-years-of-primo-history-300693208.html 8. Marco's Franchising. "Your Team." marcosfranchising.com/your-team/ https://marcosfranchising.com/your-team/ 9. Marco's Pizza. Menu overview. marcos.com. https://www.marcos.com/menu/ 10. Yelp. Marco's Pizza — Cape Coral, FL (290 Nicholas Pkwy NW). Customer reviews, 2024–2025. https://www.yelp.com/biz/marcos-pizza-cape-coral 11. Indeed. Marco's Pizza Employee Reviews — Irmo, SC. March 2025. https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Marco's-Pizza/reviews?fcountry=US&floc=Irmo,+SC 12. Glassdoor. Marco's Pizza Employee Reviews. https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Marco-s-Pizza-upper-management-Reviews-EIIE252600.0,13KH14,30.htm 13. QSR Magazine. "Marco's Pizza Promotes Tony Libardi to Co-CEO and President." January 2021. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/marcos-pizza-promotes-tony-libardi-co-ceo-and-president/ 14. Pizza Marketplace. "Marco's Pizza to open 80-plus stores in 2026." March 6, 2026. https://www.pizzamarketplace.com/news/marcos-pizza-to-open-80-plus-stores-in-2026/ 15. Marco's Franchising. Franchise development information and overview. marcosfranchising.com. https://marcosfranchising.com/ 16. Marco's Franchising. "Franchise States: Investment Overview." 2025. Discloses initial investment range ($286,727–$807,152), franchise fee ($25,000), royalty (5.5%), marketing fee (7%). Market entry announcement data: Whitehall Township, PA (October 27, 2025) and Somerset, NJ (February 23, 2026). https://marcosfranchising.com/franchising/states/
---
Disclaimer: © 2026 QSR Research Hub. All rights reserved. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or financial advice. All franchise investments carry risk. Prospective investors should obtain the current FDD and consult qualified legal and financial advisors before making any franchise investment decision.