September 28, 2023 // Franchising.com // TOLEDO, Ohio - Marco’s Pizza, one of the nation’s fastest growing pizza brands, and Magna, a global mobility technology company, will explore new mobility solutions in last-mile food delivery in certain locations throughout North America.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to test a variety of last-mile delivery platform options, including autonomous and electric solutions, with Marco’s franchisees. Each last-mile delivery platform provides Marco’s franchisees with purpose-built, dedicated delivery solutions that are low-cost and environmentally friendly.
"As one of the largest pizza brands, we invest in innovations that drive our franchisees’ businesses forward while meeting the needs of today's modern customer," said Rick Stanbridge, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Marco's Pizza. "Our strategic collaboration with Magna exemplifies this forward-thinking approach, and we plan to leverage their expertise to amplify our operations and elevate customer satisfaction."
Over the next several months, Magna and Marco’s will discuss proof-of-concept followed by a kick-off of in-market pilot projects with participating franchisees. These initial projects will provide valuable data and insights into last-mile delivery usage rates, customer acceptance and overall efficiency.
"As we look at how people and goods will move in the future, we are continuously identifying new applications and technologies to match the needs of the expanded mobility landscape, the last-mile delivery market being one of them,” said Matteo Del Sorbo, Executive Vice President at Magna and Global Lead for Magna New Mobility. “By collaborating with a company like Marco’s, we want to not only create an exceptional experience for their franchisees and customers but continue to evolve our last-mile delivery offerings.”
Today, Magna is spearheading several last-mile delivery pilots and proof-of-concepts across industries worldwide. Through these programs, the company is actively acquiring vital insights to unlock innovative last-mile delivery solutions for the benefit of all.
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives to deliver a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,100 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 51 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2023 "Franchise 500" ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek's 2023 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, earning a spot on QSR's Top 50, and being featured on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.
Magna is more than one of the world’s largest suppliers in the automotive space. We are a mobility technology company built to innovate, with a global, entrepreneurial-minded team of over 174,000 employees across 351 manufacturing operations and 103 product development, engineering and sales centres spanning 30 countries. With 65+ years of expertise, our ecosystem of interconnected products combined with our complete vehicle expertise uniquely positions us to advance mobility in an expanded transportation landscape.
SOURCE Marco's Pizza and Magna
Marco's Pizza is one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands with 1,200 stores in 34 states, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. Marco's seeks multi-unit franchisees to join the brand both in the U.S. and Internationally.