Marco's Pizza Bets $1 Million on Operator Training

Marco's Pizza is putting more than $1 million into a new Operations Center of Excellence in downtown Orlando. The 14,030-square-foot facility extends the brand's Toledo headquarters and centralizes how franchisees get trained and supported. It reflects a bet that operator execution, not just unit count, drives the next stage of growth.

A Real Kitchen, Not a Classroom

The center includes a fully equipped training kitchen built to replicate an actual Marco's store. Operators and general managers will run hands-on training in conditions that match what they face at the counter. That design choice shortens the gap between learning a process and executing it under real pressure.

Built for a Growth Push

The investment lands as Marco's targets more than 80 new store openings in 2026 across a 1,200-plus-unit system. Discovery Days for prospects and advanced training through Marco's University will run from the Orlando hub. Concentrating onboarding and education in one location helps the brand keep execution consistent as it scales.

Why Operators Should Care

Infrastructure spending like this signals where a franchisor expects to compete, and Marco's is competing on operational consistency. Standardized training tends to protect unit-level economics as a system adds locations quickly. For multi-unit operators, stronger franchisor support lowers the risk of opening several stores at once.