- Ranking Lauds Marco’s Expansion, Culinary Innovation, and Leadership Strength
- President & Co-CEO Tony Libardi Honored as Top 25 Executive
- Continued Growth, New Formats, Digital Upgrades, and Menu Innovation Set the Pace for What’s Next
TOLEDO, Ohio, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brands, earns the No. 2 spot on Pizza Marketplace’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list for 2026. The annual ranking recognizes brands that are shaping the future of the American pizza industry through a powerful combination of high-volume operations and elevated, quality pizza.
Marco’s was honored for its continued commitment to expansion and bold culinary innovation. In 2025, Marco’s strengthened its executive leadership bench with the strategic appointments of Chief Marketing Officer Steve Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer Bill Schaffer, and VP of Franchise Growth Brad Smith, enhancing its already robust leadership team. This leadership infrastructure further positions Marco’s for sustainable expansion and operational excellence.
Growth remained a key component of the brand’s 2025 strategy, opening more than 60 new stores while accelerating expansion across new domestic markets, international territories, and nontraditional venues. Celebrating anniversaries in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Marco’s is exploring a widened reach across the Caribbean and LATAM regions with a continued focus on scalability and franchisee support.
Alongside expansion efforts, the brand is simultaneously redefining category expectations with innovative menu offerings. Rooted in flavor-first quality, Marco’s Chef Kathleen Kennedy has pushed the limits of elevated menu offerings, including reintroducing the iconic Fiery Flavors pizzas and breads and building on the success of its acclaimed Magnifico® lineup to deliver distinct flavor profiles that resonate with today’s consumers.
Further underscoring the strength of Marco’s leadership team, Tony Libardi, president and CEO of Marco’s Pizza, was recognized as a Top 25 Executive for his leadership in the brand’s ascent as a powerhouse. In 2025, he oversaw the brand’s expansion into Mexico and Latin America, and he continues to lead with a “people-first” mentality, prioritizing operational excellence and digital modernization to drive consistency, convenience, and value.
“This prestigious recognition is truly a testament to our entire network,” said Tony Libardi, president and co-CEO of Marco’s Pizza. “From our dedicated franchisees and our leadership team’s committed focus on quality and innovation, to our guests who uplift our brand every day, we continue to pave the way for the modern pizza industry. We’re excited to build off this momentum and evolve while honoring our roots.”
Alongside the brand’s recent recognition as America’s Favorite Restaurant in the Limited-Service Pizza category*, these awards underscore Marco’s uncompromising commitment to quality and its continued investment in innovation to deliver bold flavor.
As Marco’s continues its upward trajectory, this industry recognition reinforces the brand’s long-term vision: delivering superior guest experiences while building a scalable, resilient system for franchisees.
For more information Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or contact Brad Smith at bradsmith@marcos.com or 419-279-5795.
ABOUT MARCO’S PIZZA
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco’s was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale (“Pat”) Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,200 stores in 35 states with locations in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Mexico. Other recent accolades include being recognized by QSR as one of the “16 Best Franchise Deals for 2025”, ranking No. 50 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2026 “Franchise 500” ranking, earning a coveted spot as the only top 5 pizza chain to rank on Newsweek’s 2025 “America’s Best Customer Service” in pizza chains list, earning a spot on QSR’s Top 50, and being featured on Nation’s Restaurant News’ prestigious “Top 500” ranking.
*According to Technomic’s 2025 America’s Favorite Restaurants data, Marco’s Pizza secured the top spot in the Limited-Service Pizza category with a 54.6% composite top-box rating, indicating the share of recent guests who gave the brand the highest possible rating for each of the guest experience attributes. Data for America’s Favorite Chains comes from Technomic Ignite Consumer, which collects information about how brands impact consumers and how consumers interact with those brands, via online surveys. See here for more information: www.technomic.com/ignite-consumer.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pizzas-top-100-movers-and-shakers-marcos-pizza-ranks-no-2-302729651.html
SOURCE Marco’s Pizza
