Top 14 Best Gas Station Franchises

1. 7-Eleven

7-Eleven is always described as your go-to convenience store that stocks an assortment of high-quality fresh food, hot food and proprietary beverage offerings, private brand items, gas and so much more. 7-Eleven stores are generally open every day of the year, with the vast majority open 24 hours a day, and they are located in neighborhood areas, on main thoroughfares, in shopping centers, or on other sites where they are easily accessible and have parking facilities for quick in-and-out shopping, and the business takes in approximately $680 billion in sales every year.

7-Eleven has more than 8,600 convenience stores, many of which have gas stations, across the U.S. 7-Eleven aims to make her franchising easy and convenient. The company provides a turnkey solution, meaning they deliver everything franchisees need to run their business, and their stores come fully operational.

Financial requirements

• Initial Franchise Fee – $1,000,000
• Advertising Fee – 0.05 to 1.5% of Gross Profit
• Training Expenses – $9,000
• Estimated total – $47,750 to $1,160,100

2. Arco AMPM

The ampm brand is a convenience store chain with branches located in several U.S. states, including Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington etc. The ampm brand is owned by BP America, Inc., a subsidiary of BP. In Spring 2008, U.S. branches of the BP Connect brand of convenience stores rebranded to ampm which acquired its founding owner, Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), in 2000. In the US, the stores are usually attached to an ARCO or BP-branded gas station.

The Arco ampm Mini Market is a combined gasoline and convenience store franchise with more than 900 locations serving some 24 million customers every month. Founded in California in 1978, AMPM rapidly grew and now boasts of hundreds of combination gas stations and convenience stores throughout the U.S.

The juxtaposition of Arco gasoline stations with ampm Mini Markets makes a powerful combination of internationally known brands providing customers with one-stop shopping convenience.

Financial requirements

• Liquid capital required – $600,000
• Net worth required – $700,000
• Investment – $1,835,823 to $7,615,065
• Franchise fee – $30,000
• Ongoing Royalty Fee – 2-14%
• Ad Royalty Fee – 5.5%

3. Circle K

Circle K is a convenience store chain offering a wide variety of products for people on the go. The international chain of convenience stores was founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, United States. Circle K has become one of the most widely recognized convenience store brands, known worldwide for quality products and great customer service.

Circle K stores offer everything needed by customers on the go, including a beverage fountain, coffee bar, frozen and refrigerated foods, packaged and dry goods and other groceries, and some locations offer gasoline.

Circle K franchisees receive business assistance, constant system-wide messaging through the company, centralized purchasing power and established vendor relationships. Circle K assists franchisees in all aspects of opening and operating their stores.

Financial requirements

• Liquid capital required – $100,000
• Net worth required – $300,000
• Investment – $171,000 to $1,900,000
• Franchise fee – $25,000

4. Street Corner

Peter LaColla and Daniel McCabe noticed a need in their community after they had opened a food store called Street Corner Cuisine in a mall in Topeka, Kansas. They noticed there was no place for people to buy basic things like cigarettes, newspapers or aspirin in the shopping center.

To meet this need, the partners opened Street Corner, a convenience store with the look of an old-fashioned newsstand, in 1988. The new store was popular with both mall customers and employees, and the partners decided to sell their restaurant and concentrate on franchising Street Corner. Street Corner locations sell snacks, beverages, newspapers, magazines and some other locations include gas stations.

The high traffic location and open store design attract mall shoppers who just need  directions or who just want to make simple purchases. Some stores even have a news channel running continuously on a TV set to attract passers-by. Street Corner convenience stores are available for malls and most populated high traffic areas. They  are currently seeking qualified investors to create and operate Street Corner In-line and Kiosk stores to fill the nationwide demand.

Financial Requirements

• Initial Investment – $45,645 to $1,479,800
• Net-worth Requirement – $100,000
• Liquid Cash Requirement – $30,000
• Initial Franchise Fee – $19,900 – $24,900
• Ongoing Royalty Fee – 4.95%
• Ad Royalty Fee – $899 per yr.

5. Sunoco APlus

Founded in 1985, with corporate roots formed in the early 1970s, Sunoco APlus is a gasoline company that accommodates convenience stores in some of its locations all along the east coast of the United States from Massachusetts to Florida and west into upstate New York and Ohio. Customers looking for on-the-go snacks, beverages, and lunches can find them at APlus for a fair price, every day.

APlus Stores are staffed by friendly employees who welcome customers to come back every day for their morning coffee, afternoon pick-me-up, or always-needed groceries like bread, milk, and eggs, or to fill up their tanks. In 2004, APlus became the “Official Pitstop of NASCAR and the Official Convenience Store of NASCAR and as such NASCAR merchandise and products are available at participating APlus locations.

Today, Sunoco is proud to have over 800 franchised company APlus stores in its family. The APlus Franchise Program offers exceptional business systems, extensive training and quality marketing tools. They also provide ongoing business and marketing support.

Financial requirements

• Initial Investment – $250,000-$600,000
• Initial Franchise Fee – $30,000
• Liquid capital required – $125,000

6. Dash In

Dash In Food Stores and gas station is a regional leader in convenience stores, promoting brand name food and competitively priced fuel, with more franchises growing each year across the mid-Atlantic. Dash In provides franchising opportunities for its gas stations and convenience stores across the U.S. Dash In gas been franchising since 1979 and has 58 franchise units available.

• Cash Required $250,000 – $500,000

7. On the Run

On the Run is a convenience store brand owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT), a Canadian convenience store company that also operates Circle K, Couche-Tard and Macs. On the Run, the original brand convenience store launched by Mobil to accompany its gas stations, became the flagship store for Exxon and Mobil stations when the two oil companies merged in 2000.

On the Run, beyond the typical fare at other convenience stores, offers fresh snacks, fill-in groceries, health and beauty supplies and quick meal options. On the Run is a recognized leader in the convenience store industry and has received numerous awards for its broad, customer-oriented inventory and service, guided by the three components: fast, fresh and friendly.

Financial requirements

• Liquid capital required – $100,000
• Investment – $500,000
• Franchise fee – $25,000
• Royalty fee – 3.7% to 4.5%

8. Kangaroo Express Convenience

The Pantry, Inc. was a publicly traded convenience store chain based in Cary, North Carolina that operates Kangaroo Express stores. The Pantry was founded in 1967 by Sam Wornom and Truby Proctor, Jr. The company has been publicly traded since June 1999 and owned by investors since 1987.

The Pantry was one of the United States’ largest convenience store chains and the leading independently operated chain in the southeastern U.S. As of September 29, 2014, the company operated 1,518 stores in thirteen states under several banners.

The Pantry offers its own private label “Kangaroo” brand of gasoline, and operated 250 in-store quick-service restaurants.

Financial requirements

• Initial Investment – $450,000 to $600,000
• Initial Franchise Fee – $40,000

9. Murphy USA

Murphy USA operates more than 1,400 retail stations in 26 U.S. states under their brands, Murphy USA and Murphy Express. Their brands provide quality fuels at the best value to approximately 1.6 million customers a day.

Murphy USA is a nationally-recognized brand and gives franchise owners the opportunity to use their existing professional experience and skills to build a thriving convenience store and gas station business.

Requirements

• Liquid capital – $100,000
• Successful applicants must have already been self-employed or have held a management level position.

10. Caltex

Caltex is one of the world-class and world’s most successful brands which was established in 1936. Today, Caltex is a part of the Chevron Corporation, one of the world’s largest companies.

The company was named after the states California and Texas. Prior to 2015, Chevron had 50% ownership of the company; but by the fourth month of 2015, the entire shares were sold to Australian shareholders who now have total ownership.

This oil company deals on a variety of products from petrol, to diesel, to gasoline. So if you are looking at becoming part of a company that never lacks fuel, and rakes in a 6-month sales average of $81, 600, then you have your company.

Financial Requirements

• Initial investment – $200, 000
• Liquid cash requirement – $30, 000
• Stock capital – $55, 000
• Franchise fee – $5, 000
• Training fee – $8, 500

11. BP Connect

BP Connect sets the standard in convenience stores and gas station brand with clean, modern, innovative locations where you’ll find not only a variety of sandwiches, pies, wraps and other sweet and savory delights, but also a host of automotive supplies. This convenience store/café/filling station brand is owned by BP, the multinational British oil and Gas Corporation. The stores feature a sleek design and are known for having a kiosk with Internet.

BP Connect seeks franchisees with a passion for quality and service, and a commitment to building a customer focused and performance driven business. With top-quality systems and training solutions, BP Connect sets the standard for brand recognition and leadership in the petroleum and convenience stores industry. BP Connect has approximately 200 locations in nine U.S. states, and is seeking expansion in the Midwestern and Eastern regions of the country.

Financial requirements

• Liquid capital required – $700,000
• Investment – $2,500,000 to $6,600,000
• Franchise fee – $30,000

12. Chevron ExtraMile convenience store/gas station

Chevron Corporation formerly ChevronTexaco, is one of the largest companies in the world, as ranked by Forbes. Chevron is also one of the six “supermajor” oil companies and they are involved in every aspect of the oil, gas and geothermal energy industries. Chevron employs more than 58,000 people, and about 4,000 of these are service station employees.

Chevron was founded in 2001, though the original company was established in 1879. Chevron has been franchising its ExtraMile convenience store/gas station combination locations since 2007 and has 228 units owned by franchisees.

ExtraMile franchisees receive assistance from Chevron Corporation in the areas of merchandising, training, advertising and ongoing business advice and support. Chevron is currently offering franchising opportunities in California, Oregon and Washington.

Financial requirements

• Liquid capital required – $500,000
• Total investment – $1.5 to $2.5 million

13. Shell

Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. In the United States, Shell has a network of strategically-located local service stations, offering convenience retailing as well as a variety of fuel products. Their aim is to meet the energy needs of the society in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally viable, now and in the future.

Shell is actually among the top companies when it comes to the fuel industry that is why the likelihood of franchisees being successful is very high.

Financial requirements

• Minimum amount of investment – $125,000 not including other fees

14. Quick Mart

Quick Mart serves more than 16 counties in Southern-middle Tennessee and Northwest Alabama with Shell and other company products. They equally operate 39 Quik Mart Convenience Stores and serve 6 dealers with motor fuels.

An entrepreneur seeking to own a Quik Mart franchise does not need to bother about credit score, proof of funds, net worth requirements, experience etc. as there are not necessary for this franchise. It should also be noted that the approval process of this franchise quite short; just one week.

Financial requirements

• Liquid Capital Required – $200,000
• Total Investment – $250,000 to $350,000
• Exclusive territory available for $75,000