TOLEDO – Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pizza brands, has appointed seasoned brand marketing leader Denise Lauer as Chief Marketing Officer. This appointment comes at a pivotal time as Marco’s focuses on aggressive franchise development, product innovation, and accelerates unit level sales strategy.

Lauer holds an impressive 20-plus-year history of building brands and accelerating growth for companies domestically and internationally, including over a decade of experience specifically within the food industry. She has an extensive background developing high-performing, data-driven marketing and communications strategies for both startups and leading brands, including Morton Salt, PepsiCo – Quaker Foods & Snacks, FedEx, and Eaton Corporation.

As Chief Marketing Officer of Marco’s Pizza, she is responsible for brand strategy, national advertising and media buying strategy, digital and social media, web/app experience, product development and innovation, promotions, multicultural marketing, field/regional marketing and consumer engagement.

“Having grown up in Northeast Ohio, Marco’s Pizza was always a family favorite, so this opportunity really comes full circle for me,” said Lauer. “Marco’s is a brand I believe in – and I look forward to expanding its reach in the U.S. and beyond by delivering transformative marketing strategies that unleash its power and potential.”

Lauer’s expertise lies in unlocking growth potential in businesses, brands, and teams, by partnering with cross-functional leaders on growth strategies, including innovation, e-commerce, digital transformation, and new product launches. She has a proven track record of developing and executing strategies that help strengthen financial performance and brand equity.

“The leadership team at this organization is second to none, and I’m thrilled to be part of a franchise with such an impressive growth trajectory fueled by its people-first culture and commitment to quality,” added Lauer. “As franchise expansion continues to surge, I plan to play a strategic role in further driving the growth and development of Marco’s Pizza and catapulting the brand into the national spotlight.” 

Lauer will report directly to Steve Seyferth, EVP, Chief Growth Officer, and serve on the Marco’s Pizza Executive Leadership Team.

“Denise is an insightful brand leader with great character and a team-oriented mentality,” said Seyferth. “Her skillset and experience in past CMO roles at large and respected organizations speak directly to the objectives we’re looking to accomplish as it relates to helping drive results and new levels of customer engagement. Having her on our side will be instrumental in achieving our goals in the years ahead.”

At the crux of Marco’s ongoing growth and strong performance is its renowned high-quality pizza, which has provided the basic foundation to scale. As momentum builds, the brand is prioritizing investments in the franchise development program, new technology, customer experience, strategic partnerships, multi-channel national advertising, and more – all with an eye on maximizing franchisee profits while meeting the needs of today’s modern consumer.

According to the brand’s Franchise Disclosure Document, the Top 50% of Marco’s franchised stores generated $1,222,684 for 2022*.

In the last six years, the fast-growing brand has doubled its store footprint with no intention of slowing down. Company leadership has identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations.

For more information on Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or call 866-731-8209 to speak with Shannon Iverson, Vice President of Franchise Sales.

ABOUT MARCO’S PIZZA 

Marco’s Pizza is one of America’s Top 10 Favorite QSR Brands according to the 2022 Market Force Information Study. 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 1,100 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco’s Pizza was ranked No. 51 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2023 “Franchise 500” ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek’s 2023 “America’s Best Customer Service” in pizza chains list, ranked No. 40 on QSR’s Top 50 and has been featured six consecutive years on Nation’s Restaurant News’ prestigious “Top 500” ranking.

*Based on the Average Sales Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for our fiscal year 2022. Based on our fiscal year 2022, 160 of 414 Franchised Stores in the category (or 39%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2023 FDD – please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well.

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