TOLEDO, Ohio, Jan. 2, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Marco's Pizzawas recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500®, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Recognized by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500® places Marco's Pizza as no. 103 for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate, and system size, making a 10 point jump from its ranking last year at no.113. In 2009, the company was ranked at 236. Therefore, the franchise has steadily climbed 123 points in the past five years, despite the Great Recession.
"The stunning jump in our Franchise 500® rankings since 2009 is a demonstration of Marco's Pizza's ongoing growth. All of this development has occurred in one of the most challenging periods in American business history. The 2013 year is easily forecast to be the biggest year of expansion in the brand's history," said Jack Butorac, Marco's Pizza CEO. "One surprisingly revolutionary driver of the growth is really good, fresh Italian quality pizza sold at reasonable prices."
The rankings for all 500 selected companies are determined using an exclusive formula that takes into account objective and quantifiable factors. An independent CPA analyzes all financial data. The most important factors include financial strength and stability, growth rate and size of the system. All franchises are given a cumulative score, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500® in ranking order.
"We're delighted to share the positive strides the companies in this year's listing are making and showcase them as representations of business strength," says Amy Cosper, VP and editor in chief of Entrepreneur. "The Franchise 500® are a major force contributing to the franchise upswing. Their ability to successfully satisfy customers, continually add units, create jobs and grow overall keeps them ahead of the rest and worthy of distinction."
Over its 34 years in existence, the Franchise 500® has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for entrepreneurs. Marco's Pizza's position on the ranking reinforces its strength in the industry.
To view Marco's Pizza in the full ranking, visit www.entrepreneur.com/franchise500. Results can also be seen in the January issue of Entrepreneur on newsstands on January 18.
ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA:
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza (Marco's Franchising, LLC) is the fastest-growing pizza company in the U.S. (based on the number of stores signed into development since 2007). Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian born, Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and is committed to making Italian Pizza with fresh ingredients. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate more than 325 stores in 26 states, the Bahamas and Panama. Marco's Pizza recently ranked 11th place in the "2012 Pizza Industry Top 100 Movers & Shakers" article sent out by PizzaMarketPlace.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities with Marco's Pizza visit marcosfranchising.com.