- Significant Milestone Achieved by the Foundation, Now Surpassing $1.5 Million in Total Charitable Giving
- Top Pizza Franchise’s Philanthropic Efforts Reinforce Impact on Education, Opportunity, and Communities
TOLEDO, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Marco’s Pizza Foundation officially surpasses $1 million donated to Junior Achievement USA, marking a major milestone for Marco’s charitable organization. With this contribution, The Marco’s Pizza Foundation has now donated more than $1.5 million in total charitable giving, reinforcing its commitment to supporting students, families, and communities across the country.
National Initiative Driving Local Impact
Junior Achievement is one of the nation’s leading organizations dedicated to preparing young people for future success through hands-on learning focused on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career readiness. The Foundation’s strategic partnership with JA allowed Marco’s Pizza stores across the country to raise donations at the register, which helped directly support local JA chapters located near each store in the communities where guests live and work.
To date, the Foundation has contributed:
- More than $1 million to Junior Achievement USA
- $475,000 to No Kid Hungry
- More than $1.5 million total across its charitable partners
“These milestones represent the incredible generosity of our guests, franchisees, and store employees across the Marco’s Pizza system,” said Brandon Hudson, multi-unit franchisee & newly appointed president of The Marco’s Pizza Foundation. “Every round-up donation helps create opportunities for students and families in the communities we serve. Surpassing $1.5 million in giving is an incredible achievement, and I’m personally proud of the impact our $1 million donation to Junior Achievement USA will have on students across the country.”
Charitable Efforts Come Full-Circle to Marco’s Pizza Foundation President
Hudson’s connection to Junior Achievement is deeply personal. As a student in the Chicago area, he participated in JA programs from his sophomore through senior years of high school, where he developed early business plans, explored entrepreneurship, and learned firsthand how to turn ideas into opportunities. That experience helped spark the entrepreneurial mindset that ultimately led him to become a multi-unit Marco’s Pizza franchisee, now owning and operating 13 stores, with 5 more in development.
Appointed president of The Marco’s Pizza Foundation in March 2026, Hudson has already helped accelerate the organization’s momentum by rallying franchisees around the impact of guest round-up donations* – reinforcing how support at the register can strengthen local schools, communities, and Marco’s Pizza businesses alike.
“When we make the ask, we win together,” Hudson added. “We strengthen trust within our communities, help shape future leaders, and create opportunities that extend far beyond our stores. What begins at the register becomes real support for education, opportunity, and long-term community growth.”
Guided by its mission to help individuals be fed, educated, and equipped, the Foundation continues to focus its impact through four core pillars:
- Hunger Prevention
- School & Education
- Workforce Development
- Entrepreneurship
As Marco’s Pizza expands its philanthropic impact through The Marco’s Pizza Foundation, the brand remains equally committed to fostering a People First, Mission Always culture, recognizing that true community support begins from within. Marco’s is equipping franchisees with the tools to cultivate a thriving store culture built on growth, recognition, hospitality, and opportunity at every level. As the brand continues to evolve, creating clear pathways for franchisees to foster their employees’ advancement will remain a core focus.
To learn more about the Marco’s Pizza Foundation mission, please visit https://www.marcos.com/foundation/.
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. Notably, Marco’s was recognized as America’s Favorite Restaurant in the Limited-Service Pizza category by Nation’s Restaurant News using Technomic Ignite Consumer 2025 dataꝉ. 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.
*Not available in California
ꝉAccording 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.
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SOURCE Marco’s Pizza
