Franchise Facts Report → compare → Marco's Pizza vs Chester's
Marco's Pizza vs Chester's
Two quick-service restaurant franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Marco's Pizza | Chester's | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $286,477 – $811,186 | $27,500 – $296,500 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $5,000 | $3,500 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 5.5% | — |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | $878,180 | — |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 1,139 | 1,002 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +25 | -79 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | 7.4% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | disclosed | 0 |
| Risk level our read | Low | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2026 | 2024 |
Are Marco's Pizza and Chester's the same company?
No — Marco's Pizza and Chester's are franchised by separate companies. Marco's Pizza's franchisor is Marco's Franchising, LLC; Chester's's is Chester's International, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Chester's is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $27,500 – $296,500, against $286,477 – $811,186 for Marco's Pizza.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Marco's Pizza disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $878,180), while Chester's's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Marco's Pizza reports 1,139 franchised outlets, net change +25 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Chester's reports 1,002 franchised outlets, net change -79 in the latest reported year, a 7.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against quick-service restaurant medians.
Litigation
Marco's Pizza discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (case detail in the full report). Chester's discloses no franchisee-initiated proceedings in FDD Item 3.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against quick-service restaurant peers.
Only looking at one of them?
Marco's Pizza vs Chester's — frequently asked
Are Marco's Pizza and Chester's the same company?
No — Marco's Pizza and Chester's are franchised by separate companies. Marco's Pizza's franchisor is Marco's Franchising, LLC; Chester's's is Chester's International, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Marco's Pizza and Chester's?
Marco's Pizza and Chester's are quick-service restaurant franchises from different franchisors (Marco's Franchising, LLC and Chester's International, LLC). Chester's is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $27,500 – $296,500, against $286,477 – $811,186 for Marco's Pizza. Only Marco's Pizza disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $878,180), while Chester's's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Marco's Pizza more profitable than Chester's?
Only Marco's Pizza disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $878,180), while Chester's's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Marco's Pizza or Chester's?
Chester's is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $27,500 – $296,500, against $286,477 – $811,186 for Marco's Pizza.
Is Marco's Pizza or Chester's growing faster?
Marco's Pizza reports 1,139 franchised outlets, net change +25 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Chester's reports 1,002 franchised outlets, net change -79 in the latest reported year, a 7.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Quick-service restaurant rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Marco's Pizza 2026, Chester's 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.