Three of the top pizza chains in the U.S. have been dramatically reducing their footprints nationwide as same-store sales decline, but Marco’s Pizza, the country’s No. 5 pizza company, is doing the opposite.
After significant expansion last year, Marco’s announced this week that it has “deliberate development plans” for 2026.
Marco’s says it opened more than 60 new stores in 2025 and plans to surpass 80 new store openings this year. It’s also rolling out advanced digital tools, operational enhancements and menu innovations and aims to strengthen franchisee support.
Marco’s success stands out in sharp contrast to struggles faced by its closest rivals. Papa Johns, ranked by Datassential as the fourth largest pizza chain, recently announced it will close 300 stores in the next two years, and perennial No. 2 Pizza Hut plans to shutter around 250 domestic locations in the first half of 2026. Pizza Hut also closed 375 U.S. stores last year.
No. 6 Papa Murphy’s, meanwhile, has fared little better, closing around 120 shops since 2023.
It should be noted that Marco’s has been eyeing Papa John’s No. 4 spot since at least 2023.
- Strategic U.S. Expansion: Marco’s entered New Jersey and signed a development agreement for New Mexico.
- International Milestones: The brand celebrated anniversaries in Mexico and Puerto Rico while continuing to explore new international opportunities and growth across the Caribbean and LATAM regions.
- Nontraditional Development: Continued expansion into ghost kitchens and alternative real estate formats helped drive accessible and flexible growth opportunities.
- Leadership Growth: Marco’s strengthened its executive bench with key hires, including Brad Smith to VP of Franchise Growth, Bill Schaffler to CFO and Steve Kennedy to CMO, reinforcing the infrastructure needed to support continued expansion.
- Operational Efficiencies: As part of an ongoing initiative to streamline store-level operations, Marco’s identified strategic vendor relationships, resulting in significant supply chain cost-savings.
- Digital Experience Enhancements: The brand said it advanced its digital ecosystem to improve the guest journey and support franchisee operations, laying the groundwork for future innovation. Notably, these enhancements earned Marco’s an AVA Digital Gold Level Award for its Ordering Platform and Website – Redesign.
- Industry Recognition: Marco’s earned accolades from FRANdata, claiming the highest FUND Score among all QSR concepts and No. 1 in the pizza category; Entrepreneur, ranking No. 50 in the 2026 Franchise 500 ranking; Technomic, named America’s favorite pizza chain; QSR, named a best franchise deal; and Newsweek, earning a reader’s choice best pizza chain award.
“Marco’s momentum is driven by a commitment to thoughtful expansion and strong franchisee support,” said Gerardo Flores, chief development officer of Marco’s Pizza. “As we look ahead, we remain focused on building the infrastructure, technology and innovation needed to support the next phase of growth.”
Key initiatives on the horizon include:
- Operations Center of Excellence: Marco’s is developing new initiatives designed to enhance systemwide training, operational consistency and performance as the brand continues to scale.
- Next-Generation Digital Experience: Including an updated loyalty program and exploration of AI-powered ordering capabilities.
- Menu Innovation Pipeline: Marco’s said it will introduce new product innovation in 2026 under the culinary leadership of Chef Kathleen Kennedy.
- International & Nontraditional Growth: The brand will continue exploring new global markets, expanding across Mexico and the Caribbean, and growing nontraditional formats including ghost kitchens.
- Franchise Expansion: Marco’s introduced the Franchise Development Royalty Incentive Program, designed to lower barriers for qualified multi-unit owners. With early-stage royalty incentives starting at 0%, along with comprehensive support in real estate, construction and operations, the program provides a streamlined, resource-rich path for franchisees to expand.
Prospects are taking note of the business opportunity, the company said, as Marco’s Franchise Disclosure Document reports $1.3M AUV for the top 25% of franchised stores in 2024.
