Pizza chain plans 38 Okla. eateries

August 13, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY – Marco’s Pizza, a national chain, is planning to open 38 stores in Oklahoma City and Tulsa beginning in October. The company, which began in Toledo, Ohio, in 1978, has 159 pizza restaurants in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada and Arizona.

Jack Butorac, president of Marcos Franchising LLC, said a franchise agreement was signed locally with MG Pizza Ventures.Plans call for 21 of the stores to open in Oklahoma City and 17 in the Tulsa area.The Marco’s Web site reports the initial franchise fee is $17,500 for each franchised location. The ongoing royalty rate after the store opens is 5.5 percent of net sales. Between the franchise fee and equipping the actual store, Marco’s estimates the costs to open one of the restaurants runs from about $150,000 up to $315,000 for each location.

Ron Hingst, spokesman for Marco’s, said in recent years the company hired another company that assesses retail markets around the country. He said the study looked at about 100 markets where a pizza store would have a good chance of success.When Oklahoma was identified as a potential market, the next step was to look for local investors.He said the company has opened successful operations in the last few years in Florida, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada.

The company hopes to have 500 stores established by 2010.Hingst said the decision to open so many locations in Oklahoma was based on the strength of the market and the company’s hope that people are ready for a different pizza chain. “They think there are enough good locations and enough of a market,” Hingst said.Each store will have a staff of about 25.And when it comes to competition, Hingst said the company is not looking to go head-to-head with the large pizza chains. “Whenever you think in this country that we don’t have room for another pizza store, if you put out a good product and provide good service, there’s always room,” Hingst said.

Well...call me shocked. Never thought I would see them down here, but definitely not a bad thing. Pizza isn't bad at all and they definitely compete well with the other guys. They have a good variety, not just pizza, which helps set them apart. They are probably closer to a Pizza Shuttle like place than a Dominos or Papa John's.

Marco's Pizza just opened at NW 178th & Western in OKC/wanna be Edmond. I haven't tried it yet but my neighbor said it was good. Prices are a little steep but their pizza doesn't look cheap like Little Caesar's.

Family had it tonight. It was certainly better than Little Caesars. But they're opening in the midst of a pizza price war, and I'm not sure their prices can compete.

Steve, do you live in this area? I would have imagined you live near downtown for some reason. Make sure to sign up for their emails, I received a coupon for a free order of Cheezybread. Yeah, hopefully they run some great specials, because with 2 Little Caesars and a Cheezie's nearby, they definitely have some competition to be aware of.

redrunner, the key to any happy marriage is to always remember that it's the wife who gets to pick the house....

Redrunner, there is definitely a pizza war going on but you must admit that a lot of times, you get what you pay for. Places like little ceasers and pizza hut are in a price point pizza war with a product that is not so great. I would rather pay a few extra bucks for a GREAT pizza than a lame pizza for 5 or 10 bucks.

Keep that in mind when everyone says, "that's a great deal". That is a great deal for a bad pizza! Marco's Pizza is amazing with cheese that is never frozen like everyone else, dough is made daily, and the sauce is made daily...CAN"T BEAT THAT!!

National pizza chain opens location in Oklahoma
OKCBiz Staff
5.10.2010

Marco’s Pizza, a pizza company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, opened its second Oklahoma location today at 17900 N Western Ave. in Edmond. Kevin Wilkerson of Edmond owns and operates the store.


“Marco’s Pizza is in the process of expanding nationwide, and Oklahoma is a fairly new territory,” Wilkerson said. Marco’s Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza company in the U.S., based on the number of stores signed into development since 2007.

http://www.okctalk.com/okc-metro-area-talk/10892-marcos-pizza-chain-enters-okc-market.html

Family had it tonight. It was certainly better than Little Caesars. But they're opening in the midst of a pizza price war, and I'm not sure their prices can compete.

I agree. We don't get pizza very often, and we'll probably try it once or twice, but it's pretty pricey comparatively. Their carry-out location, with marble counter top and interior stonework, is pretty swanky compared to some other similar carry-out places.

I am cracking up at his promo-wrapped car - the Mercedes Coupe. I see it driving around the neighborhood.

I noticed that too. Not sure they're communicating the right message. Quite honestly, most folks are looking to pay for a good pizza, but really won't be impressed by a marble counter at a take-out place or a Mercedes delivery car. Makes you think you're paying for that as part of the price for the pizza.

Makes you think you're paying for that as part of the price for the pizza.

That's exactly what I thought.

I may not be representative of anything, but Little Caesar's, Pizza Hut, Papa John's are all way inferior IMO to Hideaway and Old Chicago, both much more expensive places. I don't eat what costs the least, I eat what I like the most.

I had Marco's Pizza last night. It's good quality for the price.

Marco's Pizza just opened at NW 178th & Western in OKC/wanna be Edmond.

LOL, why would anyone want to be Edmond? Maybe its Edmond thats trying to be like OKC, Norman or any other part of town?

Marcos is really very good for a chain, would definitely pick it long before any chain.

Kevin, the franchise owner has been a customer at Vintage since they first started looking into this area over a year ago. He is a really good guy, and he gets a kick out of the wrapped Mercedes.

They've delivered a number of pies to our shop, and i've enjoyed each one. handmade crust and high quality cheese and fresh ingredients. seems like a winning formula to me.

LOL, why would anyone want to be Edmond? Maybe its Edmond thats trying to be like OKC, Norman or any other part of town?
I think that what redrunner was saying was that 178th and Western is almost Edmond...it's half a mile from Edmond city limits, has Edmond mailing address, Edmond schools, etc.

Gave the new pizza place a try today; don't plan on "dining in"! They only have two small tables, limited space, and an awkward layout. That said, the pizza was really good! We called it in, then went to pick it up. Had to wait about 10 min. in the store, plus the 10-15 at home. We took advantage of the coupon they'd sent in the mail.

Pros: great crust [we had thin], properly cooked, plenty of toppings [we tried the garden and the chicken fresco], good cheese, and tasty sauce.

Cons: received cheezy bread as a "freebie" with the specialty pizza; okay, but too much garlic for our personal taste. They did provide two very small cups of dipping sauce, which wouldn't have been enough if we'd wanted to eat all the bread sticks.

Will we go back? Maybe. It is pricey [about like Hideaway], but sometimes the price is worth it for "good" pizza.

Anyone else try it yet?

Is this the same Marco's Pizza that is a chain? I had Marco's Pizza in Las Vegas and it was delicious! Is this the same thing or something local?

Is this the same Marco's Pizza that is a chain? I had Marco's Pizza in Las Vegas and it was delicious! Is this the same thing or something local?

It is a chain; according to the paper, it is based out of Ohio, if I recall correctly. There was an article about it w/in the past week; don't remember which day. On their brochure, they list locations in Edmond, Broken Arrow, & the one on S. Penn as their OK locations.

we went friday night... ordered at 7pm. went to pick it up 30 minutes later and they were beyond swamped. our order wasn't even in the oven at 8:20pm when i cancelled it. i'll give the place another chance given the circumstances but it wasn't a great first impression. -M

Location?

we went friday night... ordered at 7pm. went to pick it up 30 minutes later and they were beyond swamped. our order wasn't even in the oven at 8:20pm when i cancelled it. i'll give the place another chance given the circumstances but it wasn't a great first impression. -M

They were definitely "scattered" in their handling of the orders, etc. Had a sign up saying that they were still in "training" and asking for patience. Reminded us of the "next great restaurant" show with Bobbly Flay, et al., going to fund new restaurant concepts. The ideas and ingredients are good, but the actual execution of the the process [taking care of customers] is lacking.

We noticed their awkward placement of the drive-up window and a lack of people to work the phones and registers.

Hopefully, some time will give them a chance to do a better job.

Did you go to the one on S. Penn or the one in Edmond?

Location?

Just south of the CVS at S.W. 119th & S. Penn in the strip shopping center west side of the street. It's just two shops north of the Stuffed Olive restaurant.

I just checked their website and this IS the same 'Marco's Pizza' I ate at in Las Vegas. Good stuff. Glad to know they've made it to OKC.

It was earlier last week when I ordered online, maybe Thursday. But the online process worked flawlessly and even let me add a tip for the driver which I like. There is a charge for delivery. The delivery area is by zip code in a pulldown. It was supposed to be 25 minutes but the driver made it to my door nearly 5 minutes early. Pizza was great. I also ordered the thin crust and thought it was just right. Had a salad, too, which was also pretty good.

All in all I liked the pizza better than Mazzios and the service I enjoyed was spectacular.

Here are a few tips with Marco's pizza. They often have coupons so check them out online. You can add a crust topper seasoning for free, choices are on the site. If you enjoy a pizza hut pan pizza with a thick crust (not to be confused with chicago deep dish) say you'd like the thick crust, usually no extra charge.

Here are a few tips with Marco's pizza. They often have coupons so check them out online. You can add a crust topper seasoning for free, choices are on the site. If you enjoy a pizza hut pan pizza with a thick crust (not to be confused with chicago deep dish) say you'd like the thick crust, usually no extra charge.

I wanted to follow up and add more info so I quoted myself...

When you go on the Marcos site and click on the "hot deals" tab it offers the "Large Pepperoni Magnifico" for $9.99 (one example of the deals). This destroys the chains pizza's in taste; if you like a thicker crust, log in online, get the "hot deal" coupon code and ask for a thick crust. The exact crust season toppings options are:
Garlic Butter, Roma, Parmesan Cheese and Ranch.
I'm a foodie and this IS the BEST pizza you can get delivered IMO if you live in the delivery area (current of of May '11), especially if you prefer a bready thick seasoned crust.

If you want a top quality pizza, try the Tapwerks in Bricktown...I'm a foodie and they've beaten out a couple of dozen pizza joints I've tried...Mainly due to having top quality cheese you don't get at other "quality" restaurants...

I've been a fan of Papa Johns for about 10 years but Marcos has far superior pizza. The only issue I have had with them is that when I ordered a thin-crust pizza they cut it into little squares which leaves all but the outside edge pieces with no rim of crust to hold onto to. The second time I ordered from them I spoke to them in person and they were happy to do a regular pizza cut. They said they were a franchise and company policy was to do the square cut on thin-crust pizzas so you have to request the regular cut. The last time I looked I don't think there was an option for this on the website.

did you go to the one on s. penn or the one in edmond?

we went to the one on south penn.

gave the place a second try this past tuesday night. there were no problems getting the pizza on-time. we had an extra large supreme and an order of wings, which came to $29 after tax. the toppings and crust were good but for me the cheese was off. it just didn't have the taste and texture of real mozzarella... at least to me. the wings were a bit soggy and didn't have enough sauce. they weren't the best wings i've ever had but certainly not the worst. all in all, i felt it was a bit pricey for what you get. for a chain pizza, i'll stick with papa johns. -M

We were hesitant to try it because of their pricing. Once we found some of their coupon deals, we've chosen to order from time to time. And I agree with the others, the quality and taste of the pizza is far superior to any other "chain" around. There's one within a few blocks of where we live in N OKC/Edmond, so we often call in and pick it up. Can make at least three meals out of it, so in a way, it's really a bargain.

we went to the one on south penn.

gave the place a second try this past tuesday night. there were no problems getting the pizza on-time. we had an extra large supreme and an order of wings, which came to $29 after tax. the toppings and crust were good but for me the cheese was off. it just didn't have the taste and texture of real mozzarella... at least to me. the wings were a bit soggy and didn't have enough sauce. they weren't the best wings i've ever had but certainly not the worst. all in all, i felt it was a bit pricey for what you get. for a chain pizza, i'll stick with papa johns. -M

All the chains including both Papa Johns and Marcos use a different ratio of inferior quality cheeses of mozzarella and provolone. This is because mozzarella doesn't pack a lot of flavor. I say cheap because if you want the good stuff you need fresh a high quality whole milk mozzarella, the kind that's in a ball sitting in a brine, the kind that doesn't separate into oil when you heat it. I understand you ordered the most expensive pizza they offer, but when I go to Papa johns website, an XL supreme with wings and tax comes out to $27, not a huge difference. We all have our favorites :)

all the chains including both papa johns and marcos use a different ratio of inferior quality cheeses of mozzarella and provolone.

i realize that... it's just that what i got at marco's seemed way off in texture compared to what i typically get from a chain. i guess what i'm trying to say is that it had a taste and texture less like 'cheese' and more like 'cheese topping', if that makes sense.


we all have our favorites

absolutely. i didn't mean to come across as if anybody who prefers marco's is 'wrong'; i was just stating my impressions after having tasted marco's for myself.

however, as an update to what happened to us a week ago friday: marco's scored big customer service points by mailing us a handwritten apology and a gift certificate for a free pizza for not being able to fulfill our order. i was very impressed with that.

-M

Marco's is by far our favorite pizza for delivery. You can order online and choose when you want your pizza delivered. We use coupons and typically order almost every Friday night.

Where do you find the coupon deals?

Where do you find the coupon deals?

http://marcos.com/stores/menu?view=menu&store=5015 You may have to enter you're zip code first, then click menu...

There is a banner up at the old 7Eleven location stating that it will be a Marco's Pizza. I looked them up and noticed that they have a few locations around town already. How do they stack up vs. other pizza places?

There is a banner up at the old 7Eleven location stating that it will be a Marco's Pizza. I looked them up and noticed that they have a few locations around town already. How do they stack up vs. other pizza places?

I was in Norman yesterday moving my niece into her dorm, we tried Marco's for lunch and wasn't impressed at all. When in town again, Ill stick to Hideaway or Shuttle

I tried it yesterday.... It was good.... Nothing memorable though. Reminded of hide away the most, but not quite as rich. Hide away is too rich in my opinion. Their boxes are nice.

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=10892&highlight=Marcos+pizza

The one in NW Edmond is excellent. By far my favorite chain pizza place (it would even compete with Hideaway for me). Obviously, from the other posters, it may not stack up for all locations. I'd say give them a try and judge for yourself.

We've ordered from the one in Norman a couple of times. Probably wouldn't have given it a go but a friend's son took a position with them so figured hey, why not.

Not bad at all. Not my fav, but it's better than I was expecting it to be.

Only slightly above average in my opinion. Seemed a little skimpy with the ingredients, but not bad. I wouldn't turn one down, but I wouldn't make a special effort to go there - esp in light of their prices, which seem a bit high to me.

Love Hideaway, but its just too far to drive (which is OK, because pizza is kinda off my list for a while as I'm trying to drop a few lbs lol). You either head for the north side of town or Norman, no S. OKC location, which IMHO is a missed opportunity. SW 104th and May would be a great spot for a Hideaway...

I go to the one in Edmond. Easy to order online. You can custom the pizza. Double anything. How much sauce. What crust. I really like it. Its always hot with the cheese melted.

Banchetto's has the best pizza in Moore and life's to short to eat cheap/bad pizza.

The one in SW OKC is... well, OK. I know a couple people who really like it. We tried it a couple times and it was nothing memorable and rather inconsistent as far as the size, thickness of crust, etc. That being said, it was when they first opened, so maybe we'll give it another go.

I went to the one in Norman and...eh, it was okay but if I'm gonna spend $30 on pizza, I'd rather go to Pizza Shuttle or Hideaway or something. Marco's was pretty pricey and didn't have a lot of unique options. But that's just my opinion. Food is highly subjective. :)

Spotted a sign for a NY style pizza joint going in next to the Moore urgent care on 19th across the street from Braum's but can never spot the name

Sandro's

is that the same sandro's as the one on main in norman? -M

I'm assuming it is but don't know for sure.

is that the same sandro's as the one on main in norman? -M

Any good if it is?

Any good if it is?

i've heard good things about sandro's but haven't had a chance to check it out for myself. -M

Marco's is second on my list behind Hideaway, but there is no Hideaway near me. I like the pizza and the convenience of ordering online. you can even add the tip for the delivery guy when you order.

I've never had Sandro's either. For pizza in Moore we usually go to Banchetto's or we go to JJ Pizza Stop in Norman.

I'm sure we'll give Sandro's a try when it opens in Moore.

I haven't been to Sandro's either. I should stop in there sometime now that they've expanded into the adjacent suite (RIP Atomik Pop).

As for other local pizza joints, I also like Meme's Pizzeria (tiny place next door to 7-11 at Imhoff and Chautauqua). Though I haven't stopped by in a while, I hope they're still there! They're the only place I've found around here with actual deep dish pizza. And they have good Chicago-style hot dogs there.

Don't know if there has been another thread, but Marco's just opened up at Britton and N May. Never heard of them before.Are they any good?

Had one at their Edmond location last year and wasnt very impressed at all. Just a notch above little ceasars which is pretty bad.

Pretty decent pizza...We normally order from there when we want it delivered and our budget calls for cheap

There's been one in Norman for a spell. It's middle of the pack type fare.