Food will also be front and center this Super Bowl Sunday -- the second biggest eating holiday of the year second only to Thanksgiving. And while chicken wings, chips and dip are game-day favorites, pizza is always in hot demand. Prior to opening his stores last year, Gorin was an offensive tackle in the National Football League and took home two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.

Franchise Industry to Grow in -- Report. In fact, the Super Bowl is the biggest day of the year for most pizza franchises. Papa John's, which is the official pizza of this year's bowl, will give out free pizza and Pepsi to its rewards members if online voters successfully predict which team will win the coin toss.

Of course, pizza's appeal isn't just during football season. Overall, "these concepts are doing very well," says Keith Hudson, president and CEO of Charter Franchise Group, a Houston franchise consultancy, adding that pizza's low cost has worked in its favor in the post-recession years.

Meanwhile, the top pizza chains have improved their game plans with streamlined ordering and efficient delivery systems, he adds. Still, would-be franchisees need to tread carefully in this crowded category, starting by knowing what concepts will work best in their markets, whether it's delivery, take-out, buffet or a full-service restaurant.

One thing to watch out for is excessive couponing.

Likewise, too many exotic toppings can eat into the bottom line. Prior to buying his franchises Gorin looked at everything from self-serve yogurt and gourmet burgers to kids' bounce houses, but was most impressed with Marco's menu, marketing and growth potential.

Here are the top 10 pizza chains from Entrepreneur's Franchise list , as measured by such factors as financial strength and stability, growth rate, breadth, experience and startup costs. Year it began franchising: In , decades before buying local was all the rage and California Pizza Kitchen was a household name, a pizza joint in San Leandro, Calif. Straw Hat's California-style pizza was a huge hit, and quickly grew to be one of the largest pizza chains on the West Coast. In the late s Pizza Hut bought the franchise operation and most of the franchises but some Straw Hat franchisees didn't sell.

They joined forces and held onto the concept of using fresh, local ingredients, ultimately franchising again in late In fewer than two years some two dozen franchises have opened in Arkansas, Montana, Nevada and Texas. Columbus, Ohio Year it began franchising: Sunday's game, in fact, will be the culmination of the chain's aggressive marketing campaign promoting its pizza and wing bundles.

How Much Can I Make? - Marcos Pizza Franchising

McDonald's bought the franchise company in , but four years later Grote and his daughter, Jane, bought it back. Today, Donatos offers franchisees a time-tested product and flexible real estate strategy. With its rectangular pans and thick pepperoni, Ledo Pizza opened its doors in and quickly became an Annapolis institution among politicians, athletes and university students.

In the company began franchising, making Ledo Pizza a household name in Maryland and other Mid-Atlantic states. The menu goes beyond pizza to include lasagna, spaghetti, soup, salad and subs. It does, however, let customers order half-baked pizzas to heat and enjoy at home. Orange City, Iowa Year it began franchising: Americans may be minding their budgets, but that doesn't mean they've given up going out altogether.

The concept started in when a young Iowan, Adrie Groeneweg, started selling homemade pizza using recipes developed by his mom. Today, Pizza Ranch's stand-alone restaurants seat more than people, and offer diners a "mile-long" buffet of pizza, chicken and dessert in a cozy western setting; take-out and delivery are also an option.

The concept has caught on, making Pizza Ranch one of the largest regional chains in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. You wouldn't expect an American pizza franchise to make inroads in Italy. Yet in , Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen managed to do just when it opened a franchise in Naples, the birthplace of pizza. It wasn't such a stretch, considering that when Villa founder and Neapolitan Michele Scotto opened his pizzeria in New York City in he used recipes he brought with him from the Old Country.

In the nearly five decades since, the company has introduced other Italian fare developed by its culinary team in a state-of-the-art test kitchen. But the pizza is still just like Scotto used to make. Though best known for its signature deep-dish square pizza, Jet's Pizza has also won over customers with its submarine sandwiches, salads, breadsticks and wings.

Founded by Eugene and John Jett in , Jet's started franchising in and has since grown to more than franchises in more than a dozen states.

The company gives its franchisees strict guidelines and "tasty" secrets to make sure every order is fresh, delicious and consistent. Toledo, Ohio Year it began franchising: The company sold its first franchise a year later, reached stores by and in changed hands.

Under new ownership the company has thrived — but Pat's secret sauce and fresh-made dough remains constant. In , Marco's Pizza opened 61 locations, and more than stores are slated to open in the fiscal year. Same store sales, meanwhile, were up about 7. The market was indeed hungry.

By , just three years after the company started its franchise operations, it had more than 65 locations; in it reached Although franchise growth has slowed a bit, same-store sales remain hearty — up 7. Customers can choose from eight different tastes, including garlic herb, onion, sesame, ranch and Cajun.

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Papa John's early history reads like many pizza franchises: A young John Schnatter figures he can make a better pizza and begins delivering pies from a glorified broom closet in his father's Jeffersonville, Ind. Yet somewhere along the way, Papa John's, which is now publicly traded, entered the big leagues. The brand boasts 3, locations globally and is slated to reach 4, by the middle of this year.

Top Franchises: Investing in Domino's Pizza -- The Motley Fool

Pizza customers, meanwhile, enjoy a system-wide rewards program that will give Papa Rewards members a free pizza if America correctly calls the coin toss on Feb. Plano, Texas Year it began franchising: Pizza Hut , which is owned by publicly-traded Yum! Brands, is an old hat among national pizza chains, but in recent years it's undergone some notable improvements. Moreover, it ramped up growth of smaller stores focused on carry-out and delivery making Pizza Hut stores a viable option in more markets.

While the company is one of the biggest of the bunch, with thousands of franchises around the world, just franchisees own units of this iconic brand. This website uses cookies to allow us to see how our website and related online services are being used.

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