Aplus Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
APLUS is the convenience-store retail brand operated at Sunoco fuel sites, selling drinks, snacks, and prepared food. Franchisees run extended-hour stores managing inventory, staffing, and fuel-adjacent retail.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A APLUS franchise requires a total initial investment of $240K – $2.3M, including a $15K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $240K – $2.3M
- 27th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 18th pct Retail
- Units
- 265
- 37th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $240K – $2.3M including a $15K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 financial statements are the audited consolidated financial statements of Sunoco LP (the franchisor's parent and guarantor), not of franchisor Sunoco Retail LLC. FY2024 total revenues of $22,693M comprise sales revenue $21,588M, service revenue $980M, and lease revenue $125M. Figures in USD millions; audited for years ended Dec 31, 2024/2023/2022. Net income $874M is total Partnership net income; net income attributable to partners is $866M after $8M to noncontrolling interests.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 65/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Sunoco Retail LLC
- Parent company
- Sunoco LP
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and President
- Joseph Kim
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 8111 Westchester Drive, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas 75225
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $22.7B
- vs $23.1B prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joseph Kim
- Headquarters
- TX
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 10
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 204% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown44 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Rent (Three months)not refundable | $16K | $124K | |
| Construction Costsnot refundable | $78K | $1.1M | |
| Permitting Costsnot refundable | $21K | $83K | |
| Architectural Drawingsnot refundable | $21K | $63K | |
| Existing Conditions AutoCAD Drawingnot refundable | $4K | $4K | |
| Engineering Project Management Feenot refundable | $6K | $6K | |
| Store Fixtures and Equipmentnot refundable | $83K | $293K | |
| Interior Graphicsnot refundable | $13K | $52K | |
| Exterior Graphicsnot refundable | $17K | $47K | |
| Initial Opening Inventorynot refundable | $42K | $125K | |
| Permits (Business)not refundable | $3K | $12K | |
| Permits (Beer/Wine)not refundable | $500 | $13K | |
| Technology Feenot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $150 | $1K | |
| Insurance (Three months)not refundable | $4K | $6K | |
| Collateral Depositnot refundable | $10K | $21K | |
| Misc. Suppliesnot refundable | $500 | $2K | |
| Initial Grand Openingnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Proprietary Itemsnot refundable | $1K | $6K | |
| Total initial investment | $1.1M | $4.6M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $240K – $2.3M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $56K – $115K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Percentage of gross sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $330 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $42K – $125K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
APLUS did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one APLUS unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
4%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 financial statements are the audited consolidated financial statements of Sunoco LP (the franchisor's parent and guarantor), not of franchisor Sunoco Retail LLC. FY2024 total revenues of $22,693M comprise sales revenue $21,588M, service revenue $980M, and lease revenue $125M. Figures in USD millions; audited for years ended Dec 31, 2024/2023/2022. Net income $874M is total Partnership net income; net income attributable to partners is $866M after $8M to noncontrolling interests.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Retail average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (-1.6% 3-year CAGR) with 265 units.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Retail averages
How Aplus Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 265
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 3.3%
- Company-owned
- 19
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -1.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 8
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 33
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 4.1%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 0.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 10 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
10
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $300K
- Median loan
- $300K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (1 loan) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
APLUS exhibits meaningful systemic risk: unit decline, undisclosed financials, active litigation, and possible franchisor solvency concerns, offsetting the modest $15K franchise fee.
Litigation (Item 3)
1 pending case: Sunoco (R&M), LLC and Sunoco, LLC vs. Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company et al. (appeals pending re breach of contract/indemnification arising from a 2014 gas station accident). 1 completed case: Kiran Park Newsstand Inc. v. Sunoco, Inc. (collateral security deposit return dispute, dismissed February 2018).
Largest disclosed settlement: $1,500,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 65 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining (-0.8% YoY) signals system contraction and potential saturation
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosures (Avg Revenue and Net Income not disclosed) prevents ROI validation
- 03HIGHActive litigation for breach of contract and indemnification raises franchisor accountability concerns
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other franchisees in same market
- 05MINORWide investment range ($239K–$2.27M) suggests inconsistent unit economics and unclear scaling
- 06HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — potential financial instability at franchisor level
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 60 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Dallas, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 pending case: Sunoco (R&M), LLC and Sunoco, LLC vs. Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Company et al. (appeals pending re breach of contract/indemnification arising from a 2014 gas station accident). 1 completed case: Kiran Park Newsstand Inc. v. Sunoco, Inc. (collateral security deposit return dispute, dismissed February 2018).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 75 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 116 hrs
- Training location
- Sunoco University, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania (3805 West Chester Pike)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects site subject to franchisor's prior written approval within 30 days
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Sunoco back-office operating system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Sunoco back-office operating system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
12 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
APLUS · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a APLUS franchise?
The total investment to open a APLUS franchise ranges from $240K – $2.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do APLUS franchise owners earn?
APLUS does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the APLUS FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the APLUS FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is APLUS's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for APLUS (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many APLUS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, APLUS has 265 total units in the United States, including 246 franchised units and 19 company-owned units.
Is APLUS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates APLUS as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 65 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.