Marco's Pizza closes 3 locations in Central Illinois, including Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON — Marco's Pizza, 604 E. Locust St. in Bloomington, permanently closed Monday due to rising minimum wages in Illinois.

McLain Hoogland, president of the Tennessee-based Hoogland Restaurant Group, which owns Marco's Pizza franchises in Illinois, said the business had reached a breaking point with rising minimum wages and mediocre sales, making it unaffordable to operate.

"All these minimum wage increases from the state of Illinois are making it so year after year we basically don't go up much in sales, and potentially lose sales, and then our profitability goes down," Hoogland said. "It just reached a breaking point where Illinois is going up again $1 this upcoming year, and looking at our budget, we just can't afford it."

Hoogland said the Marco's locations at 3211 W. Iles Avenue in Springfield and 708 W. Glen Ave. in Peoria also permanently closed Monday.

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Hoogland added that Marco's Pizza as a whole is doing well as a business, but these three Illinois locations specifically were not profitable due to minimum wage requirements increasing.

He said there are about six more locations in Illinois, ranging from Chicago to St. Louis and the Quad Cities, that may also close soon.

"Marco's is doing very well, just not in these locations, because of the minimum wage requirements and profitability," Hoogland said. "I'm looking at all of them closing because I can't continue. Can't make money, can't run a business."

The Bloomington-Normal Jaycees held their annual holiday parade on Saturday, Dec. 7 that starts at Kingsley Junior High School and proceeds to the McLean County Museum of History in downtown Bloomington. This year’s theme was “A Storybook Holiday Parade.”

Photos:Normal Community vs. Bloomington during the Intercity Boys Tournament

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Bloomington's Aareion Jones (13) guards Normal Community's Kevonte Hamilton (4) on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Bloomington's Carter Tindall (11) guards Normal Community Kobe Walker (42) on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Bloomington's Kevonte Hamilton (4) shoots on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Normal Community's Kobe Walker (42) dunks against Bloomington on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Normal Community's Kobe Walker (42) shoots against Bloomington on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Bloomington's Carter Tindall (11) talks with Bloomington head coach Micheal Mosley on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Bloomington's Tyler Dowling (2) shoots over Normal Community's Jarrel Brown (4) on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.

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Bloomington's Tyler Dowling (2) brings the ball up the court against Normal Community on Monday during the Intercity Boys Tournament in the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan.