Iowa Pizza Chain Hopes to Return Following Abrupt Closings

At the beginning of the year, a pizza franchise abruptly shuttered all their Iowa locations with no explanation. Now, days later, a person with the company revealed that there are plans to return to Iowa, albeit in a different form.

The chain is Marco's Pizza, who closed its four remaining locations in the Hawkeye State on January 5th. Those locations were in Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Waterloo, and Davenport. Marco’s Chief Development Officer Gerardo Flores spoke to KCRG to talk about the future plans for the company as it exists in Iowa.

Why Marco's Pizza Closed in Iowa:

Marco’s Chief Development Officer Gerardo Flores spoke about the four Marco's stores closing on January 5th saying the move occurred due to the franchisee opting to "consolidate its portfolio to develop other geographic territories."

KCRG found any phone calls made to the Marco's Pizza locations in Cedar Rapids, North Liberty, Waterloo and Davenport go straight to a voice mail saying that the company had to make the "difficult decision" to close the location and "will not be reopening." At this time, it's unclear if any of those spots will ever reopen.

Is Marco's Pizza Ever Coming Back to Iowa?:

Marco's Pizza closed two other Iowa locations, in Windsor Heights and Waukee, in the first half of 2025. Flores told KCRG that the pizza chain is planning on expanding in 2026 with hopes of "reestablishing a presence in Iowa:"

Marco’s plans to open more than 80 new locations in 2026 and would love to speak with prospective Iowa-based franchisees interested in fully developing that market - Marco’s Pizza Chief Development Officer Gerardo Flores, per KCRG

The company is based in Ohio, and has locations in at least 35 of the 50 states. For more details on Marco's Pizza's abrupt closings in Iowa, visit KCRG's website.