We often focus on independent pizza makers here on Pizza Quest. But, only 50% of the pizzas sold in this country are made by the thousands of independent operators; the other 50% are sold by the many pizza franchise chains, and most of those are from the top five brands. Marco's Pizza has recently climbed into that top tier (along with Domino's, Pizza Hut, Papa John, and Little Caesar's) , as it now boasts more than 1,000 locations, with over 100 more coming this year alone.

Peter sits down with Tim Brown, Chief Operations Officer (as well as owner/operator of 15 Marco's locations), and Kathleen Kennedy, Director of Culinary Innovation (and former colleague of Peter's at The California Culinary Academy in SF, 30 years ago). They discuss how this brand started from one independent location in Toledo, Ohio, and has continued to expand ever since. They mention how Marco's has stayed true to the founder's original vision while meeting the challenges of delivering a consistent pizza experience at every location, while managing the staff training of thousands, new product development, and the supply chain needs necessary to survive and thrive in today's competitive market place. You'll learn more than you thought possible in this week's episode of Pizza Quest.

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