The Facility
Marco's Pizza cut the ribbon on a 14,030-square-foot Operations Center of Excellence in downtown Orlando on October 22, giving the fast-growing pizza chain a dedicated bricks-and-mortar base for franchisee development. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer joined founder Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco, Chairman and Co-CEO Jack Buturac, Co-CEO and President Tony Libardi, and Chief Operating Officer John Meyers for the ceremony, held during National Pizza Month.
At the core of the facility is a fully equipped training kitchen built to replicate a working Marco's store — down to layout and operational pace. The center will host Marco's University, which delivers advanced curriculum for existing franchisees, and will serve as the venue for Discovery Days, the brand's introductory program for prospective multi-unit operators. Supply chain partners and corporate leadership are also expected to convene there for system-wide performance sessions.
"Great brands are built by great operators," said Libardi. "This center gives our franchisees practical, hands-on training and stronger operational support. As Marco's grows, that investment will help us protect consistency and improve performance across the system."
Meyers, who began his career at Walt Disney World, framed the design philosophy around real-world readiness. "We built this center to train the way our operators actually work — in a real kitchen, at real speed," he said. "Situational empowerment means every team member knows what great looks like and is trusted to make the right call for the guest in front of them."
Why Orlando, Why Now
Florida is one of Marco's largest markets, making the state a logical anchor for infrastructure that will serve the broader franchise network. The opening also coincides with an aggressive 2026 growth target: the Toledo, Ohio-based chain is pursuing more than 80 new store openings this year across its 35-state footprint, which currently exceeds 1,200 units.
Chief Development Officer Gerardo Flores tied the facility directly to franchise recruitment. "When prospective franchisees visit for Discovery Day, they'll see our commitment in action — not just on paper," he said. For operators evaluating the brand, the company's Franchise Disclosure Document reports $1.28 million in average unit volume for the top 25% of franchised stores during the 2025 fiscal year. The chain also offers a Royalty Incentive Program with early-stage royalty rates starting at 0% for qualifying multi-unit developers.
The center's downtown location carries an economic dimension as well. Mayor Dyer noted that Marco's team members will contribute daytime foot traffic and spending to the surrounding small-business corridor — a dynamic that aligns with broader restaurant industry trends around urban hub investments as chains consolidate support infrastructure in high-visibility markets.
Operator Implications
For the pizza segment and the wider quick-service franchise landscape, the Orlando center signals a growing emphasis on centralized, immersive training as a lever for systemwide consistency — particularly for chains scaling past the 1,000-unit threshold. Physical training infrastructure of this scale is a meaningful capital commitment, and it positions Marco's to compete for experienced multi-unit operators who weigh brand support systems heavily during franchise selection.
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, and it ranked No. 50 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Franchise 500 list — credentials the brand will now showcase at a facility purpose-built to convert prospective partners into signed operators.
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.
