---
title: "Marco’s Pizza to open 1,000th location in Kissimmee, Florida"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/9d9ab2da-67c2-413f-97e3-f32aa3a392f8
source: "Global Franchise"
original_url: https://www.global-franchise.com/news/marcos-pizza-to-open-1000th-location-in-kissimmee-florida
author: "Kieran M"
category: "Pizza"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Pizza"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2020-10-02T15:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T17:12:31.688Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Marco’s Pizza to open 1,000th location in Kissimmee, Florida

**TL;DR:** Marco's Pizza is opening its 1,000th location in Kissimmee, Florida, and has plans for further expansion, with 80 total restaurants planned before the end of the year and 89 stores in its development pipeline. The brand has remained committed to growth throughout the pandemic, opening 51 stores since the beginning of 2020.

*By Kieran M, originally published in Global Franchise on 2020-10-02. [Read the original](https://www.global-franchise.com/news/marcos-pizza-to-open-1000th-location-in-kissimmee-florida).*

## Story

Marco’s Pizza, an international, U.S.-based pizza brand, is gearing up to celebrate its 1,000th franchise opening in late October. In light of this milestone, Marco’s is launching a host of consumer-focused promotions and rewards to drive continued brand engagement.

“Reaching this significant growth milestone is cause for celebration,” said Tony Libardi, president and COO of Marco’s Pizza. “As a people-first organization, we wanted to celebrate this achievement with those who have helped us throughout our journey. This people-first mentality has been the secret to our long-term success – it’s our passionate franchisees, dedicated team members, and loyal customers who have propelled this brand to greatness. We’ve built an incredible culture and look forward to the growth opportunities that lie ahead in our journey to the next 1,000.”

The 1,000th location is being opened in Kissimmee, Florida, by Kattya Barbaran and Rafi Vargas. Both immigrants to the U.S., the pair came with a dream of owning their own business to provide a future for their family.

“This year has been a difficult one for many of our team members, customers, and communities. Rafi and I feel very blessed to be able to fulfill our dream and give back to the Marco’s family in the process,” said Barbaran.

Marco’s remained committed to growth throughout the pandemic this year, and opened 51 stores since the beginning of 2020; with 80 total restaurants planned before the end of the year. Beyond this, Marco’s has 89 stores in its development pipeline, and has also diversified its offering with the opening of several ghost kitchens in strategic markets.

On average, Marco’s Pizza opens a new store every three and a half days, and the top 50 per cent of its franchised locations generated $918,047 AUV in 2019.

“This is a very proud moment,” said CEO Jack Butorac, a 40-year restaurant industry veteran who came out of retirement to build Marco’s Pizza. “I remember in my early conversations with founder Pat [Giammarco] saying ‘you have a 1,000-store concept here.’ And now, amid a pandemic, the brand is about to achieve this amazing milestone while experiencing record-breaking sales. It has been an incredible journey and I cannot wait to hit 1,500!”

## Entities

- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- franchise growth (topic)
- Global Franchise (publication)
- international expansion (topic)
- Kieran M (person)
- Marco's Pizza (company)
- Tony Libardi (person)
- brand engagement (topic)
- Kissimmee, Florida (location)

---
Originally reported by Kieran M, Global Franchise (https://www.global-franchise.com/news/marcos-pizza-to-open-1000th-location-in-kissimmee-florida). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/9d9ab2da-67c2-413f-97e3-f32aa3a392f8).