Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, announces the signing of a development agreement that will bring 15 new stores to the Tampa metro market by the end of 2024. This development news contributes to the brand's now 125 plus franchise agreements signed year-to-date, with over 200 stores in various stages of development, as Marco's aims to grow its 1000-plus unit footprint by more than 10% this year.

Behind this area development agreement is investment group MPZ Holdings, LLC. The group successfully manages 21 Marco's locations across South Carolina and Georgia, and with key members of the leadership team moving to the Tampa area, they're eager to successfully grow and expand in Florida. With two signed leases igniting initial development, Marco's Pizza will debut in Tarpon Springs at 1147 Pinellas Avenue and Dundee at 28065 Highway 27 by early Q1 2022. The MPZ Holdings leadership group aims to open five stores every year, with all 15 Marco's locations projected to be open and operating by the end of 2024. Additional areas targeted for development include Oldsmar, Winter Haven and St. Petersburg.

"The pandemic made it clear that consumer demand for quick and delicious carryout and delivery options was here to stay," said lead investor of MPZ Holdings, LLC. "Already impressed by the quality of Marco's Pizza and its exceptional leadership team, we knew timing was right to further invest and be aggressive with growth. Equipped with a proven business model, we're well on our way to developing these locations over the next three years."

Marco's is experiencing explosive growth, record-breaking sales, and continues to innovate and pilot new programs to sustain its performance. As a result, eager and sophisticated entrepreneurs and multi-unit operators are flocking to the franchise opportunity as now nearly half of the franchise network is made up of multi-unit owners.

"We're placing an emphasis on growing with incredible partners who truly embody our People-First approach to business," said Keith Sizemore, Vice President of Development for Marco's Pizza. "When a proven franchise partner doubles down on their current investment to open 15 more stores, it speaks to the tremendous belief they have in the Marco's brand. We are excited to have yet another group of 'empire builders' in our system, developing a strong market in Tampa."

Opening a new store every three and a half days on average, the Top 50% of its franchised stores generated $1,059,574 AUV for 2020*. For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit www.marcosfranchising.com or call 866-731-8209.

ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA 
Marco's Pizza is America's Most Loved and Most Trusted Pizza Brand, according to the 2019 Harris Poll EquiTrend^® Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza companies in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives by making authentic Italian quality pizza with fresh ingredients. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,000 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 2 in the Pizza category on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2020 "Franchise 500" ranking, and No. 6 in the Largest Pizza Chain category on Restaurant Business' 2020 "Top 500 Chains" ranking. Other recent accolades include ranking No. 4 in Forbes 2019 "Best Franchises to Buy" Small/Medium Investment and ranking five consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 200" ranking. For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit www.marcosfranchising.com or call 866-731-8209.

*Based on the Average Unit Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for fiscal year 2020. Based on fiscal year 2020, 142 of 369 Franchised Stores in the category (38%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2021 FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.