This article is part of "Where Are They Now?"—an ongoing series in which Franchise Times Managing Editor Emilee Wentland and Reporter Alyssa Huglen catch up with emerging brands.
Robert Pina has been diligent about responsible growth since becoming a Marco’s Pizza franchisee 15 years ago.
It’s what has helped him grow to 39 units and counting across Arizona, Colorado and Texas. Six of those are part of a 46-unit development deal for the Phoenix metro, which Pina signed on for in early 2022.
Franchise Times last spoke with Pina shortly after signing the deal, agreeing to exclusively build those 46 stores by the end of 2028.
With the timeframe a little over halfway through, Pina’s slated to open a seventh unit by the end of this year. Pina referred to the initial timeframe as “ambitious” and said he made some adjustments for future growth in Phoenix.
“We still have quite a trek to go,” he said. “Life happens and we end up doing other things like growing in other states and continuing to build in Houston.”
Marco's Pizza franchisee Robert Pina operates 39 units in Arizona, Colorado and Texas.
Pina said a tough labor market and lack of ideal real estate options in Arizona have made it trickier to open at the initially agreed upon speed. He and his team are looking to overcome this by being more strategic with site selection, like looking for smaller unit models to cut costs.
The investment needed to open a Marco’s Pizza ranges from $286,727 to $807,152, according to the company’s franchise disclosure document.
Over the last few years, Pina has found success in hiring a solid team and supervisors. “Now it’s a matter of growing our portfolio,” he said.
To do that, Pina and Marco’s have revised the agreement to accelerate growth in Phoenix, a market previously untapped by the pizza chain, by bringing other franchisees into the fold.
Pina said this approach is similar to how he’s found success in the Houston and San Antonio markets.
“The way it happens is you get a little bit of traction, you start bringing more people in, you start understanding the area, and you begin to accelerate your growth,” Pina said. “It’s kind of the same thing that’s happening now in Arizona, so we’ll continue to push forward.”
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The brand has started gaining traction in Phoenix through Pina’s stores. Since the first unit opened more than two years ago, Pina said going back to the basics, embracing local marketing and participating in community giveback programs have helped build a brand presence.
His efforts have not gone unnoticed; this year he received the International Franchise Association’s Franchisee of the Year award.
Looking ahead, Pina anticipates opening three more units this year and six in 2026, all while helping bring top operators into the Phoenix market.
“We plan to push forward as fast as we possibly can. If I could build all remaining 40 stores next year, I would certainly do it,” Pina said. “But we need the time and we need to gather the resources and people and dollars and everything else to build a business. … The positive part of this is Marco’s is bringing the thought process of, ‘Let’s grow this market faster because the more stores we put on the ground, the better it is for everybody.’”