Founded by Italian-born and prominent Toledoan Pat Giammarco in 1978, Marco’s Pizza has developed into a major player in the pizza business.
Now, Marco’s has more than 500 franchised locations, which helped earn its spot as the #12 Pizza Company in Pizza Today’s Top 100. (Just when I thought my job was fun, I found out that this is real! This is a real thing! Pizza Today is a real publication!!! Drooling…)
And as businesses grow, they often do what they need to do to preserve their title— their tasty, tasty, cheesy title. Marco’s will appear on the hit(?) reality TV show: Undercover Boss on Friday, January 29 at 8pm EST on CBS.
The $400 million dollar pizza chain will join the likes of companies like White Castle, Hooters, NASCAR, Popeyes, and more to let a boss put on a (terrible) disguise while we get to watch them try to convince lower-level employees that they aren't the person who signs their paychecks.
A mockup of a typical Undercover Boss disguise.
Fortunately, the faces of Undercover Boss are typically the kind of money-makers with private offices and few public appearances— which means that their unconvincing disguise is almost unnecessary, and their true identity will still remain a mystery to the employees that they interact with. Cheesy or not, the show has given major companies invaluable knowledge of day to day practices— often inspiring policy changes.
To rep Marcos, President/COO Byron Stephens will don a faux-beard and appear as a middle-aged man named “Jay” trying to map out his future career while working as a Marco’s pizza delivery driver, cashier, pizza maker, and even loading trucks late-night at the company’s distribution center in Toledo.
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Byron Stephens au naturale.
Stephens, who admits to having a rough childhood and spending time with the wrong crowd, was saved by a kindhearted judge in his youth. He has since used his second chance to work his way up to become the Boss Man.
During his experience on Undercover Boss, Stephens got a firsthand look at the day-to-day work of a typical Marco’s employee. He describes the experience as “eye-opening” and instituted new company policies as a result of his experience.
"We are opening new stores at a fast pace,” Stephens said. “Going undercover afforded me the unprecedented opportunity to expose issues and address them so that we can continue to grow – smart. I also came away from this journey with an indelible sense of pride for our employees on the front lines. When it boils down to it, it’s about our product and the hardworking people behind it.”
While you watch the episode, consider questions to as Bryon Stephens about his experience. We will have a special interview with Stephens after the show to address our readers’ questions and concerns. Either email your questions to [email protected] or comment via Facebook or Twitter.
Before the episode appears, take advantage of an “undercover deal” by joining the Marco’s Pizza e-club to unlock a secret promotion.
Until Friday, January 29, we will be enjoying slices, getting saucy, and anxiously anticipating the episode. Can't wait? Here are some sneak peeks:
A disguised Stephens in Toledo at the distribution center with employee, Tom, on the left.
Stephens in North Carolina making a different kind of dough with employee, Devin.
Stephens in Texas with employee, Tom, learning how to get pizza ready for pick-up.
Stephens learning a lesson from employee, Tyler, in Florida.
