State-of-the-art Hub to Host Franchisees, Enhance Training, and Accelerate Operational Performance

TOLEDO, Ohio, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brands, announces the development of a new Operations Center of Excellence in Orlando – a strategic investment designed to elevate franchisee training, strengthen operational execution, and support the brand’s continued national and international expansion.

The new facility represents an extension of the company’s headquarters in Toledo and reinforces Marco’s commitment to building world-class infrastructure that enables franchisees to scale efficiently and perform at the highest level.

Located at 222 South Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, the approximately 14,030-square-foot center will serve as a corporate office, training destination, and operational hub. Backed by an investment of more than $1 million, the facility will include a fully equipped training kitchen designed to replicate a real Marco’s Pizza store kitchen, creating an immersive, hands-on learning environment for franchisees and operators.

“Orlando continues to attract innovative companies that are investing in our downtown and creating new opportunities for residents,” said City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “Marco’s Pizza’s Operations Center of Excellence will not only strengthen their global franchise network but also contribute to the energy and economic momentum of our urban core. We’re excited to welcome this investment to the heart of the City Beautiful.”

A Global Hub for Franchisee Excellence

The Orlando Operations Center of Excellence will host franchisees from around the world – serving as a centralized destination for onboarding, education, and collaboration:

• Host Discovery Days for prospective franchisees evaluating the Marco’s opportunity
• Serve as the home of Marco’s University, providing advanced training for franchisees and general managers
• Deliver hands-on operational training in a real-store kitchen environment
• Convene franchisees, corporate leadership, and supply chain partners to drive alignment and performance
• Support ongoing education and operational refinement for both new and existing operators

With capacity for approximately 50 corporate team members, the center brings together key stakeholders across departments to ensure systemwide consistency and excellence.

“This investment further reinforces Orlando’s position as a strategic hub for high-growth companies looking to scale operations and talent,” said Tim Giuliani, Orlando Economic Partnership (OEP) President & CEO. “Marco’s Pizza’s decision to establish its Operations Center of Excellence downtown speaks to the region’s business climate, skilled workforce, and connectivity. We are proud to partner in supporting their continued expansion and the opportunities this brings to our community.”

The OEP provided Marco’s with assistance navigating local incentives opportunities, support with expedited permitting and announcement public relations, and connections to local workforce, utility, and government partners.

Built to Scale with a High-Growth Brand

The Orlando expansion comes as Marco’s accelerates its growth trajectory, targeting more than 80 new store openings in 2026 while continuing to invest in infrastructure, technology, and franchisee support systems.

“This investment reflects the intentional way we scale our business,” said John Meyers, COO of Marco’s Pizza. “We are building the systems, environments, and capabilities that allow our franchisees not only to grow, but to operate with precision, consistency, and confidence.”

Unlike traditional corporate offices, the Operations Center of Excellence is designed as a performance engine for the entire system – equipping operators with the tools, training, and real-time support needed to optimize store-level performance and deliver a best-in-class guest experience.

Construction is currently underway, with the facility expected to open in fall 2026.

Prospects are taking note of the business opportunity, as Marco’s Franchise Disclosure Document reports $1.28M AUV for the top 25% of franchised stores in 2025.*

For more information Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or contact Brad Smith at bradsmith@marcos.com or 419-279-5795.

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 to operate over 1,200 stores in 35 states with locations in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Mexico. Notably, Marco’s was recognized as America’s Favorite Restaurant in the Limited-Service Pizza category by Nation’s Restaurant News using Technomic Ignite Consumer 2025 data^ꝉꝉ. Other recent accolades include being recognized by QSR as one of the “16 Best Franchise Deals for 2025”, ranking No. 50 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2026 “Franchise 500” ranking, earning a coveted spot as the only top 5 pizza chain to rank on Newsweek’s 2025 “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.

About the Orlando Economic Partnership

The Orlando Economic Partnership is the Orlando region’s champion for economic prosperity, bringing together leaders, industries and ideas to expand opportunities and drive investment. Our vision is to be the next global creative capital. Orlando.org

*Based on average sales volume of the top performing 25% (or 250 units) of Marco’s Pizza Franchised Stores that were open during our 2025 fiscal year. Of the 997 Franchised Stores that were in operation for our entire 2025 fiscal year, 250 were included in the top 25% set and 37% obtained or surpassed the average sales volume. This information excludes (i) international locations (including Puerto Rico); (ii) Franchised Stores not open for the entire 52-week period in 2025; (iii) special venue and non-traditional franchised locations; and (iv) Franchised Stores that closed in 2025. See Item 19 of our 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document for additional information. Individual results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.

^ꝉꝉAccording to Technomic’s 2025 America’s Favorite Restaurants data, Marco’s Pizza secured the top spot in the Limited-Service Pizza category with a 54.6% composite top-box rating, indicating the share of recent guests who gave the brand the highest possible rating for each of the guest experience attributes. Data for America’s Favorite Chains comes from Technomic Ignite Consumer, which collects information about how brands impact consumers and how consumers interact with those brands, via online surveys. See here for more information: www.technomic.com/ignite-consumer.

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SOURCE Marco’s Pizza