Marco's Pizza](https://www.marcos.com) crossed $1.09 billion in U.S. systemwide sales in 2025 — up from $1.05 billion the prior year — and now operates more than 1,200 locations, according to QSR Magazine's 2026 QSR 50, the annual ranking of the nation's leading limited-service restaurant brands. The Toledo-based pizza chain earned its third consecutive spot on the list, a streak that reflects steady franchisee-driven unit growth rather than a single blockbuster deal.

Growth by the Numbers

Marcо's opened more than 60 stores in 2025 and is targeting more than 80 new openings in 2026, with the 1,300th location serving as a symbolic milestone the brand is publicly tracking. The chain's Franchise Disclosure Document reports an average unit volume of $1.28 million for the top 25% of franchised stores that operated a full year in 2025 — a data point the brand is using to recruit multi-unit operators. To lower barriers to entry, Marco's Franchise Development Royalty Incentive Program offers early-stage royalty rates starting at 0% for qualifying developers who sign multi-unit agreements and hit prescribed opening timelines.

"2025 was about disciplined growth — entering new states, expanding internationally, and investing in the people and infrastructure that will carry us into our next phase," said Gerardo Flores, Chief Development Officer of Marco's Pizza.

Northeast Push and International Milestones

One of the year's marquee development moves was Marco's long-awaited entry into New Jersey, where it opened its first location in Somerset under a multi-unit franchisee committed to developing at least seven additional restaurants across New Jersey and New York City's five boroughs. The deal extends a brand that had previously been concentrated in the South and Midwest deeper into the competitive Northeast corridor.

On the international front, 2025 marked one year since Marco's opened its first Mexico location through master franchisee Grupo Pizza Amantes SA de CV, and ten years of operations across the Caribbean. The brand is signaling continued interest in Canada, Latin America, and the broader Caribbean as it builds out its global pipeline. Non-traditional formats — including ghost kitchens — are also part of the mix, giving franchisees flexible entry points in markets where traditional footprints may be cost-prohibitive.

Leadership and Infrastructure

To support the scaling system, Marco's filled three senior roles in 2025: Bill Schaffler as Chief Financial Officer, Steve Kennedy as Chief Marketing Officer, and Brad Smith as Vice President of Franchise Growth. The C-suite buildout is paired with technology investments the brand describes as spanning AI-powered tools, digital ordering, menu development, and training — areas that have become table stakes in competitive QSR operations as chains race to improve throughput and franchisee profitability.

Looking into 2026, Marco's is also standing up an Operations Center of Excellence, designed to give franchisees a centralized support infrastructure as the system pushes toward and beyond the 1,300-unit mark. For operators and prospective franchisees tracking pizza segment dynamics and franchise investment trends, the brand's combination of rising AUV, expanding geography, and structured incentive programs positions it as a notable mid-tier player in a category still dominated by much larger national chains.

Marco's additional recent recognition includes being named America's Favorite Restaurant in the Limited-Service Pizza category by Nation's Restaurant News using Technomic Ignite Consumer 2025 data, and ranking No. 50 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Franchise 500.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.