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By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer

HELENA – After almost a decade of business, Marco’s Pizza has made the decision to permanently close its Helena location, located at 4969 Highway 17. The pizza chain opened the doors of the restaurant on Nov. 19, 2015.

After a “closed” sign was reportedly placed in the restaurant’s window, Marco’s Pizza confirmed the decision to close up shop in Helena.

“Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to close this location and we will not be reopening,” the statement read. “Thank you to all the Marco’s Pizza fans for your support over the years, and we wish you well.”

The restaurant provided the city of Helena with a dine-in, take-out, drive-thru, or delivery option for pizza. The menu also featured sandwiches, wings, salads, desserts and more. Six specialty pizzas—All Meat, Deluxe, Garden, Hawaiian Chicken, The Big Cheese and White Cheezy—are some of the franchises’ signature items.

The Pizza Bowls—including a “build your own” option, All Meat, Deluxe, The Philly Pizza and Meatball Bake—are also some of the best-selling items at Marco’s Pizza. Four different kinds of salad—Chicken Ceasar, Greek, Garden and Italian Chef—provide customers with a healthier option. Side options when ordering from the chain include traditional and boneless wings, breadsticks and cheese bread.

Marco’s Pizza had no shortage of competition in Helena, as the community is also serviced by Little Caesars, Dominos, Pizza Hut and locally-owned All Original Pizzeria.

Shelby County is left with one Marco’s Pizza location, as the Indian Spring store that opened its doors in 2022 is still in business.

According to the official website for Marco’s Pizza, there are over 1,200 locations in operation across 35 states and territories. According to Co-CEO and President Tony Libardi, the company had big plans for 2025.

“Marco’s leads the charge in growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction,” Libardi said. “As we continue our expansion, we remain focused on bold culinary creations, operational excellence, and franchisee support. 2025 will be a year of momentum as we deliver on our commitment to quality and innovation.”

No plans for the future of the site where Marco’s stood have been announced at this time.