Marco's Pizza to enter Mexico in 2024

Ohio-based pizza chain Marco’s Pizza is entering Mexico in 2024 through a large franchise agreement.

Grupo Pizza Amantes SA de CV and Marco’s have agreed to a 50-unit master franchise agreement to bring the chain to Mexico City, the largest city in North America. Grupo Pizza Amantes is currently in the process of building out a site and is seeking both traditional and nontraditional units, with the first store projected to open in the second quarter of this year.

Marco's currently operates 60-plus locations across the Bahamas and Puerto Rico with a master franchisee for the Caribbean. The chain says most near-term international expansion opportunities are in Latin America, with future sights set on expanding in the Middle East, Europe and Canada.

"Our successful expansions in the Caribbean reinforced the global appeal of our brand, and we're confident in the Grupo Pizza Amantes team and their ability to grow our brand presence in Mexico City," said Tony Libardi, co-CEO & president of Marco's Franchising. "Marco's is currently undergoing some of our greatest expansion to date. We now have more than 180 stores in various stages of development, and hundreds of agreements signed."

In the U.S., Marco’s continues to grow its footprint, recently announcing plans to expand in Idaho. Earlier this year, Marco’s reached an expansion milestone by opening its 1,200th location.

"This is a historic moment for the Marco's brand," said Gerardo Flores, chief development officer of Marco's Pizza. "The announcement highlights our commitment to growing our international footprint, specifically in Mexico, which is one of the most vibrant QSR markets today. Mexico shares several demographic profiles as the United States, and with a business-friendly environment and acceptance of U.S. brands, this is an ideal market for our continued international expansion efforts."