Marco's Pizza opens in Dundee, the chain's 1,100th store
A former Wall Street investor has opened a new Marco’s Pizza in Polk County marking the 1,100th store for the restaurant chain.
A grand opening was held Wednesday at 28065 US Highway 27 in Dundee, a Marco’s press release said. The ribbon cutting attracted local dignitaries including the mayor, leaders in the Chamber of Commerce, as well as the fire and police chiefs.
Kal Gullapalli, 40, of Lutz and the new location’s owner, formerly worked for seven years on Wall Street before launching his own business portfolio. He transitioned to Main Street as an entrepreneur by first opening butcher, burger and pizza shops and then entered the world of franchising in 2016.
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Gullapalli joined Marco’s Pizza in 2021 in a move aimed at diversifying his portfolio during the pandemic, the release said.
His franchise store in Dundee is his 36th Marco’s location. Gullapalli is set to open another restaurant later this year in Oldsmar, furthering his stated goal of owning a portfolio of 100-plus Marco’s stores by 2025.
“When I was working at a pizza shop in high school, I would always look around and say to myself, ‘Why can’t I own 100 of these?’” said Gullapalli in the press release.
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In addition to pizza, Marco's customers can also choose from oven-baked subs, CheezyBread, Chicken Dippers and Wings, salads and desserts, Marco’s said. Marco’s offers in-store pickups, in-store dining or home delivery.
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco’s Pizza was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale (“Pat”) Giammarco.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Marco's Pizza opens in Dundee, the chain's 1,100th store
