To celebrate National Sandwich Month in August, Marco's Pizza asked more than 1,000 consumers* to dream about what sandwich flavor they'd wish to eat as a pizza. Surprisingly, the vast majority of consumers, 86%, wished to eat any sandwich flavor as a pizza. The top five choices included both Philly Cheesesteak and Buffalo Chicken – two of Marco's newest creations launched last week.

Now, Marco's is asking fellow Pizza Lovers to get creative and celebrate National Sandwich Month with an ultimate meal mash-up contest. The pizza brand is honoring the launch of its latest sandwich-inspired limited-time offers (LTOs) with a national contest, 'Marco's Pizza Mash-Up: What Sandwich Do You Crave as a Pizza?' For the entire month of August (Aug. 1-31), Pizza Lovers and sandwich lovers alike are invited to weigh in, sharing what sandwich they wish they could indulge in as a pizza. An epic prize is on the line, including every Pizza Lover's dream - free Marco's pizza for a year!  

The Marco's Pizza Mash-Up contest follows the recent launch of Marco's latest, highly-anticipated LTOs – The Philly and The Buffalo Chicken Pizza & Pizza Bowls, which are bathed in rich melty cheeses, loaded with high-quality meats and fresh toppings. Available now at participating locations through September 30, 2021, these new menu items prove that classic loved sandwiches and subs can be transformed into delicious Marco's pizza creations.

"Our guests have a strong appetite for the The Philly and Buffalo Chicken flavor combinations, so we wanted to celebrate the love of these mash ups – and the creativity behind them – with a contest," shared Senior Director of Culinary Innovation, Chef Andy Dismore. "This contest is just another way we're living out our mission, which is to really step inside the Pizza Lovers' mindset to deliver new flavor profiles that are comforting, delicious and, of course, crave-worthy."

One lucky grand prize winner will receive Marco's Pizza for a year, a Pizza Lovers prize pack – including a pizza pool float, pizza board, oven mitts, shakers, pizza socks, sunglasses, koozies and more - and a VIP pizza-making experience with Chef Andy Dismore, where the winner will be thrown a private pizza party at their local Marco's and have the opportunity to toss, make, and serve their pizza mash-up creation.

Entries can be made online via the Marco's Pizza Mash-Up contest page and will be rated based on various criteria including creativity, overall flavor profile, and ingredient compatibility**. The grand prize winner will be selected and announced on October 1, 2021 as the official kickoff to National Pizza Month.

"One of my favorite parts about being a chef is having the opportunity to experiment with flavors and combinations – really getting inventive in the kitchen. And, that's what I want every Pizza Lover to feel with this contest. I honestly cannot wait to see all the creative submissions for the Marco's Pizza Mash-Up – I know our loyal fans will deliver," shared Dismore.

For more information about The Marco's Pizza Mash-Up contest or to find your nearest location, please visit www.marcos.com or download our mobile app available on the App Store or Google Play.

*Online Omnibus study conducted by Directions Research, independently recognized as one of the nation's leading business decision insight firms. The survey was fielded from July 12 to July 13, 2021 among a demographically balanced nationally representative sample of 1,035 U.S. adults 18 years of age and older. Directions Research has authorized these research findings for publication. Directions Research has exercised its best efforts in the preparation of this information. In any event, Directions Research assumes no responsibility for any use which is made of this information or any decisions based upon it.                        

**See contest landing page for official rules and restrictions.

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.