Marco’s Pizza is planning three new restaurants around Columbia, Missouri, starting with a location on Rain Forest Parkway. The Ohio-based pizza chain has signed a three-unit development agreement with a family-run ownership group, bringing a specific expansion plan to mid-Missouri.
The announcement offers a different story at a time when some competing pizza chains are reducing their restaurant counts. According to Marco’s August 5 announcement, the first Columbia restaurant was targeted for October 2026 at 911 Rain Forest Parkway.
A Columbia address leads the rollout
The first announced site is at 911 Rain Forest Parkway in Columbia. City of Columbia building records also show a sign permit for Marco’s Pizza at that address, independent evidence of work associated with the planned restaurant. The permit does not, by itself, establish that the restaurant is already open.
The franchise company named Russ Anderson and Betzayda “Betzy” Alvarez-Anderson as the co-owners behind the agreement. Klayton Anderson, Betzy’s husband and Russ’ nephew, is expected to serve as operator. Their backgrounds combine real estate, construction and pizza restaurant management.
The group plans to build three restaurants in the Columbia-area market, but the announcement identifies a street address for only the first. It does not say that all three sites are under construction or give opening dates for the second and third units.
That makes Columbia’s Rain Forest Parkway location the one with the clearest near-term development trail. The October target came from the chain’s original announcement; customers should check for a fresh opening notice rather than treat that monthlong projection as a confirmed grand opening date.
What the chain is bringing to Missouri
Marco’s traces its roots to Toledo, Ohio, where it was founded in 1978. The company emphasizes dough made in-house and a signature cheese blend. Its menu centers on pizza, with other familiar takeout options for customers looking for a quick family dinner.
The chain already has a presence in Missouri, so this agreement is not its debut in the state. Instead, it represents a push into the Columbia market and a commitment by new local operators to establish several locations over time.
A three-store agreement is more substantial than one new storefront, but construction schedules, permits and opening dates still have to be worked out restaurant by restaurant. For Columbia-area diners, the practical update is straightforward: one identified site on Rain Forest Parkway and two more planned Marco’s restaurants whose addresses have not yet been announced.
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