Toledo, Ohio-based Marco’s Pizza has opened store No. 1,200 in Louisville, Kentucky, and the franchisee behind it sees more stores in its near future.
Hoogland Restaurant Group, led by President McLain Hoogland, added the Louisville store to its portfolio, which now totals 117 units, with plans to grow its unit count by 20 this year.
Hoogland is the fourth generation of his family to lead Highland Ventures, which includes the Hoogland Restaurant Group. Coming from a long line of family business leaders instilled a passion for entrepreneurship in him at a young age, according to a press release. This experience, paired with his military background—he served two combat tours in the Marines—equipped him to lead and establish Hoogland Restaurant Group as Marco’s largest franchisee.
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Founded in 2012, Hoogland Restaurant Group aims to grow its portfolio by selecting prime territories for expansion. “With Marco’s, there’s a clear vision for growth, and now is the opportune time to invest and expand,” Hoogland said in a statement.
He added, “This is a special moment for the Hoogland team as our third store was actually Marco’s 300th milestone location. Fast-forward, opening the 1,200th store is an achievement that truly honors our company’s test of time and incredible growth with Marco’s.”
An official grand-opening event and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the Louisville store on January 19, with various local dignitaries in attendance as well as Marco’s co-CEOs Jack Butorac and Tony Libardi.
Marco’s said it’s on the fast-track for continued rapid expansion with more than 100 stores in various stages of development and more than 170 agreements signed. The company said it has identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations that are catching the attention of multi-unit operators looking to grow and diversify their portfolios.
“This opening holds great significance for our brand as multi-unit growth guides our 2024 development strategy, with nearly half of the current franchise network comprised of multi-unit operators,” Gerardo Flores, Marco’s chief development officer, said.
According to the brand’s franchise disclosure document, the top 50% of Marco’s franchised stores generated average net royalty sales of $1,222,684 during the 2022 fiscal year