WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. - An Ohio-based pizza brand, with more than 1,200 locations worldwide, is expanding its footprint at a Lehigh County shopping center, which is set to welcome two other new tenants in the coming months.
The first Lehigh Valley location of Marco’s Pizza, a fast-growing pizza brand that aims “to deliver a high-quality pizza experience” featuring dough made from scratch and three fresh signature cheeses, is expected to open later this summer at 2588 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, franchise owner Jack Praizner said.
The restaurant, occupying a renovated space near 2nd & Charles in the MacArthur Towne Centre, has a target opening date of Aug. 18, which could change due to permitting, construction and inspection processes, Praizner said.
The restaurant will focus on takeout and delivery orders, but there also will be a few dine-in seats, Praizner said.
"We're looking forward to being part of the community," Praizner told 69 News. "We're planning to do a donation to a local charity during the shop's first week."
In March, Praizner announced plans to open Marco's Pizza locations in Whitehall and Bethlehem. The Bethlehem location has not yet been nailed down, he said.
Praizner, a resident of Folsom, Delaware County, has more than two decades of experience in the pizza industry.
Starting his career as a 15-year-old Domino's employee, Praizner quickly rose through the ranks to become a multi-unit franchisee, owning and operating 12 Domino's locations before selling them in 2021.
Ready to re-enter the industry with a fresh perspective, Praizner was attracted to Marco's for its high-quality product, modern store design and strong corporate support.
"After years in the pizza business, I knew exactly what I was looking for in my next venture: a brand with great growth potential and a product that stands out," Praizner said.
"With his dedication to cultivating future franchisees and fortifying the market, Jack's leadership sets the stage for Marco's imminent growth in this dynamic region," added Gerardo Flores, chief development officer of Marco's Pizza, in the March release.
Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale "Pat" Giammarco.
The company has grown to include more than 1,200 stores in 35 states with additional locations in Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Mexico.
Marco's Pizza customers can enjoy build-your-own pizzas along with signature varieties such as "Hawaiian Chicken" (ham, grilled chicken, bacon, pineapple, original sauce and signature three cheeses), "Pepperoni Magnifico" (pepperoni, signature Old World Pepperoni, romesan seasoning, original sauce and signature three cheeses) and "White Cheezy" (bacon, onions, sliced tomatoes, garlic parmesan sauce and signature three cheeses, plus feta).
Other menu highlights include pizza bowls such as Deluxe (crustless pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, green peppers and onions, baked with original sauce and signature three cheeses, topped with romesan seasoning); subs such as Italiano and steak and cheese; salads such as Greek and chicken Caesar; and sides such as chicken wings and Cheezybread.
In the MacArthur Towne Centre, Marco's Pizza will open around the same time as two other coming-soon tenants.
New locations of Dollar Tree and Lomax Carpet & Tile Mart are also coming soon to the shopping center.
Dollar Tree, a discount variety store chain with more than 9,000 stores in North America, will operate at 2536 MacArthur Road, in space previously occupied by Party City.
Lomax, a business offering a wide array of flooring options as well as installation services, will operate at 2570 MacArthur Road, in space previously occupied by Joann.
Lomax's new Whitehall store is expected to open in late summer or early fall, according to company spokesperson Michael Longwill.
Lomax's new store will be a relocation of the business' former Whitehall store, which operated for more than four years at 955 Grape St. - a former Toys R Us store.
The flooring supercenter's Grape Street location closed in the spring after losing its lease.
During the transition, Lomax encourages customers to visit the company's locations in Montgomeryville, Pottstown and Reading.
Carpet & Tile Mart, a third-generation, family-owned and -operated business with more than a dozen flooring supercenters in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and South Carolina, offers a wide array of flooring, including carpeting, hardwood, laminate and tile.
The company's roots date back nearly 60 years, when company founder Sam Longwill opened the chain’s first store as Airbase Carpet Mart in 1967 in a Quonset hut adjacent to the Air National Guard Base in New Castle, Delaware.
Longwill stocked and sold broadloom carpet and area rugs at steep discounts by purchasing mill overstocks, factory leftovers and remnants from dozens of manufacturers.
As a result, customers could get “the same quality and fashion of high-end carpeting at a fraction of the cost" offered by competing stores, according to an account on the business' website.
“Carpet Mart’s in-stock, direct-from-the-mill, warehouse-style approach allowed customers to save money and take their new carpet with them — or have it professionally installed within days,” the online message continues. “This unique combination of value, convenience and professional service has been the hallmark of the business ever since.”
From the late 1960s to today, the company has continued to expand its product offerings, services and retail footprint.
Now, with over 300 employees, Carpet & Tile Mart operates on the same strong, family-oriented traditions and values - including "exceptional values, unsurpassed selection and superior customer service" - as it did when Longwill founded the company in 1967, according to a business description.
Carpet & Tile Mart buys directly from mills and manufacturers, eliminating the middleman and mark-ups that are typically associated with flooring franchise stores, big-box home center flooring departments and floor covering buying group operations.
"Working closely with the mills and flooring suppliers for decades, we have also been able to maintain a superior product-quality level that other ‘flooring liquidators' cannot match," the business description reads.
"Our long-standing history with these vendors, and a unique liquid position in the marketplace, allows our buyers to negotiate and buy at deep discounts, and obtain goods or special limited deals not readily available to other retailers."
The new location of Dollar Tree is expected to open in late summer.
Dollar Tree, Inc., headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, operates more than 16,500 stores across the 48 contiguous states and five Canadian provinces under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada.
The company is supported by a coast-to-coast logistics network and more than 200,000 associates.
"In the midst of massive growth, Dollar Tree remains committed to our original mission: giving our customers extreme value at low prices," a message on the business' website reads.
Dollar Tree carries a broad mix of consumable, variety and seasonal merchandise that includes many national and regional brands — "all at an extreme value," according to a company description.
Some of the product departments include housewares, glassware, dinnerware, cleaning supplies, candy, snacks, food, health and beauty, toys, gifts, gift bags and wrap, party supplies, stationery, craft supplies, teaching supplies, books and seasonal décor.
"We’re known for our 'thrill-of-the-hunt' shopping experience where customers can discover new, exciting items every week, from everyday essentials to fun craft, seasonal, and party merchandise," a message on Dollar Tree's website reads.
"In the midst of unprecedented inflation, Dollar Tree recently changed its primary price point to $1.25 in order to continue to offer our customers all the products they’ve come to know and love, plus hundreds of new ones, and to bring back customer favorites at an incredible value. Many of the items we carry sell for more elsewhere, which means that our customers can stretch their dollars to get the products they need at an extreme value."
Last month, Dollar Tree, Inc. reported financial results for its first quarter, which ended May 3.
Net sales increased 11.3% to $4.6 billion, and same-store net sales increased 5.4%, driven by a 2.5% increase in traffic and a 2.8% increase in average ticket.
Gross profit grew 11.7% to $1.6 billion and gross margin expanded 20 basis points to 35.6%. The increase in gross margin was driven primarily by lower freight, improved mark-on and lower occupancy costs due to sales leverage, partially offset by increased distribution, shrink and markdown costs.
“Our strong first quarter performance underscores the progress we’ve made against our strategic priorities and is a clear signal that our customers are responding positively to the changes we are making,” said Mike Creedon, Dollar Tree's chief executive officer, in a written statement.
“History has shown that we have the resilience to emerge stronger from periods of economic uncertainty and in today’s rapidly evolving environment, we see a meaningful opportunity to further elevate the value, convenience, and discovery that our customers depend on Dollar Tree to provide.”
Dollar Tree has about two dozen locations throughout the Lehigh Valley, including another coming-soon location in the Valley Plaza shopping center on Catasauqua Road in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
Another Whitehall Dollar Tree store operates in the Whitehall Square, about a mile south of the MacArthur Towne Centre, on MacArthur Road.
A worker at the Whitehall Square location said the store will continue to operate following the new location's opening.
In the MacArthur Towne Centre, Marco's Pizza, Dollar Tree and Lomax are joining more than dozen tenants, including 2nd & Charles, Aldi, At Home, Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection, Top Hat and Art Fusion.
Yummy Bowl, specializing in Mongolian stir-fry and sushi selections, opened in September.