• by Teresa Buyikian , July 17, 2023

Photo Credit: Lori Sapio (PRNewsfoto/Marco's Pizza)

Marco’s Pizza, the Toledo, Ohio-based pizza chain with more than 1,100 locations in 34 states, has hired food industry veteran Denise Lauer as chief marketing officer.

In her new position, Lauer is responsible for national advertising and media buying strategy, digital and social media, brand strategy, web/app experience, product development and innovation, promotions, multicultural marketing, field/regional marketing and consumer engagement.

Lauer is reporting directly to Steve Seyferth, executive vice president/chief growth officer, and will serve on the Marco's Pizza executive leadership team.

"Denise is an insightful brand leader," said Seyferth in a release. "Her skillset and experience in past CMO roles at large and respected organizations speak directly to the objectives we're looking to accomplish: helping drive results and new levels of customer engagement.”

According to Marco’s, the hire comes as the 45-year-old brand eyes further national franchise expansion. In the last six years, the chain has doubled its store footprint and identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations.

"(Growing up) in Northeast Ohio, Marco's Pizza was always a family favorite, so this opportunity really comes full circle for me," said Lauer. “As franchise expansion continues to surge, I plan to play a strategic role in further driving the growth and development of Marco's Pizza and catapulting the brand into the national spotlight."  

Previously Lauer spent 20+ years working on both domestic and foreign brands, as well as serving over a decade within the food industry. Her experience includes work for Morton Salt, PepsiCo – Quaker Foods & Snacks, FedEx and Eaton Corporation.

Founded in 1978 by Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco, the brand still uses Pat’s "secret" original pizza sauce recipe in its stores, with locations that include Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. According to the 2021 NRN Top 500 U.S. Restaurant Ranking LSR Pizza Segment, Marco’s Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand based on year-over-year unit growth, and the fifth largest pizza brand in system-wide sales. As stated in the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document, the top 50% of Marco's franchised stores generated more than $1.2 million in 2022.