Veteran Joe Walker is a successful Marco’s Pizza franchisee who gives back to his home state
At Marco’s Pizza® we are extremely proud of the Marco’s Pizza franchisees helping drive our explosive growth and the recognition they receive. Take Marco’s Pizza franchisee Joe Walker, for example, who was recently named top veteran small business owner in South Carolina by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s South Carolina office and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.
We strive to be the pizza of choice in the communities in which we serve, making the freshest, best-tasting, most authentic Italian pizza around, and our franchisees strive to be the best community members in the cities in which they operate. Joe has been a shining example on both the business and community service fronts, having built his business to 16 stores with plans for expansion. In 2015 he donated $10,000 to a man in need of a hypertension implant and in 2016 he shut down one of his Columbia, S.C., stores for two days while he and his staff made more than 2,000 pizzas for families in need.
“Joe is a shining example of the type of world-class franchisees we have at the front-line of our business. He is dedicated to building his business and the Marco’s brand, as well as driven to give back to the communities in which he operates whenever there is a need,” says Marco’s Pizza President Bryon Stephens.
Founded in Toledo, Ohio, in 1978, Marco’s Pizza features homemade recipes and fresh ingredients in the Italian tradition. We are the only top 20 pizza franchise in the country that was founded by a native Italian. We are led by veteran pizza executives who have experience growing brands and supporting franchisees as they grow their businesses.
Our leading fast-casual pizza concept is a great fit for veterans
After graduating in 2004 from Wofford College, Joe was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, assigned to the Third Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia. His platoon was engaged in combat in Iraq and out of the 36 soldiers in his unit, six died and 16, including Joe, were wounded.
After serving in the Army, Joe joined a commercial real estate firm. Part of that job was to identify growing and expanding retail tenants in what was a slowing economy. One particular company stood out to him — Marco’s Pizza. “I noticed that Marco’s continued to expand across the country and globally at a time when other players in the sector were slowing down or sitting still. I began to dig in and research Marco’s and found that the leadership team, the product, the integrity, the service and the overall brand set them apart,” says Joe, who just celebrated his 5th anniversary with Marco’s.
The transition from the military to a franchising system was a logical career step for Joe. “The opportunity to bring my military skill set in team building and delegation was a very nice marriage with the franchising world because the operating systems were in place. It was just dependent and imperative upon the operator to build the proper foundation and infrastructure around that existing system. That was a very comfortable mission for me,” Joe told South Carolina Public Radio in a recent interview.
Marco’s Pizza franchisee plans rapid expansion
Today Joe has 16 stores located across South Carolina as well as in Wilmington, North Carolina. He has plans to grow aggressively over the next two years after having signed a deal with a new equity partner and recently acquiring development rights for several cities in Virginia — from Richmond to Roanoke — as well as the Jackson, Mississippi, market area. It’s leading franchisees like Joe who are contributing to our explosive growth nationwide. Earlier this year, we opened our milestone 700th store, and we are on track to reach 1,000 locations by the end of 2017.
The fast-casual space is the space to be in with fast-casual sales increasing 11 percent in 2015, according to Technomic’s 2015 Top 500 Chain Restaurants report, and the top 500 largest restaurant chains reported growth of 4.9 percent in 2015, with total sales of $288 billion. This topped the 2014 growth rate of 4.2 percent.
Marco’s Pizza is seeking quality franchisees who are committed to making their restaurants places where customers want to buy fresh, delectable pizza — welcoming, friendly individuals who remember customers’ names and are passionate about the Marco’s product. The investment required to start a Marco’s Pizza franchise is typically $350,000. The pizza franchise is looking for people who have a net worth of $350,000 and a minimum liquidity of $100,000.
Previous restaurant experience is not necessary to open a Marco’s Pizza. Our team of veteran pizza executives has experience growing brands and helping guide franchisees throughout their careers at Marco’s.
Learn more about Marco’s Pizza
For in-depth details about the Marco’s Pizza franchise opportunity, download our free franchise report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages.
