Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $20K – $39K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
This Sunoco program franchises Area Representatives who develop territories for the Sunoco APLUS convenience-store network, recruiting and supporting downstream store franchisees. Area Reps earn a share of franchise fees and royalties rather than running a store themselves.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program franchise requires a total initial investment of $20K – $39K, including a $5K franchise fee. This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored3 of 3 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $20K – $39K
- 0th pct Food Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- Not extracted
- Units
- 265
- 10th pct Food Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Food Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Food Retail median · 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 $20K – $39K including a $5K franchise fee. This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 60/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 2 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Sunoco Retail LLC
- Parent company
- Sunoco LP
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- 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
Affiliated brands
- Sunoco GP
- Sunoco
- Sunmarks
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
1 other brand on this site name Sunoco LP as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joseph Kim
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 11
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 90% below the typical food retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
Full Item 7 breakdown7 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area Rep Initial Feenot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Training: Travel and Living Expenses | $3K | $5K | |
| Office Supplies and Equipment (including Computer System) | $3K | $7K | |
| Insurance | $5K | $10K | |
| Professional Fees (lawyer, accountant, etc.) | $2K | $3K | |
| Office Supplies | $500 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (for first 3 months) | $3K | $7K | |
| Total initial investment | $20K | $39K |
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
- $20K – $39K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $7K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $5K – $5K
- Master/area fee
- Royalty
- No royalty is paid by the Area Representative to the fran…
- Ad fund
- Area Representatives currently pay no advertising fund. T…
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $600 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $0 |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, royalty rate, ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 Food Retail medians
How Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program Compares
Category median of published Food Retail brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
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
- 2
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.8%
- 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
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 2
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 11
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 11 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.
11
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
1 current owner across 1 state.
- TX 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Two matters disclosed. Pending: Sunoco (R&M), LLC and Sunoco, LLC v. Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co., Greyhound Aramingo Petroleum Co., and Sergey Gorlov (breach of contract/indemnification over a 2014 gas-station accident; trial court awarded Sunoco a $2,288,802.76 verdict against Greyhound; cross-appeals pending in PA Superior Court). Completed: Kiran Park Newsstand Inc. v. Sunoco, Inc. (EDNY interpleader over an $79,218.01 security deposit; Sunoco dismissed with prejudice in 2018).
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: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 60 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-0.8% YoY) indicates system contraction and potential saturation or performance issues
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosure (missing Item 19) prevents ROI assessment and suggests weak unit economics
- 03HIGHActive litigation involving breach of contract and personal injury liability creates legal and reputational risk
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates cannibalization risk where ARs compete for same royalty revenue from overlapping stores
- 05MINORMinimum $500/month guarantee appears modest and insufficient to justify $20K-$38.5K investment without growth potential
- 06MINORIndirect revenue model (dependent on APLUS franchisee performance, not direct AR earnings) creates misaligned incentives
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two matters disclosed. Pending: Sunoco (R&M), LLC and Sunoco, LLC v. Pennsylvania National Mutual Casualty Insurance Co., Greyhound Aramingo Petroleum Co., and Sergey Gorlov (breach of contract/indemnification over a 2014 gas-station accident; trial court awarded Sunoco a $2,288,802.76 verdict against Greyhound; cross-appeals pending in PA Superior Court). Completed: Kiran Park Newsstand Inc. v. Sunoco, Inc. (EDNY interpleader over an $79,218.01 security deposit; Sunoco dismissed with prejudice in 2018).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 6 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisor headquarters in Pennsylvania, the franchised business location, or another designated location including virtual
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program franchise?
The total investment to open a Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program franchise ranges from $20K – $39K, with an initial franchise fee of $5K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
What do Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program franchise owners earn?
Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program?
Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program is franchised by Sunoco Retail LLC. Its parent company is Sunoco LP. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program 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 Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program (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 Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program has 265 total units in the United States, including 246 franchised units and 19 company-owned units.
Is Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Sunoco Retail LLC – Area Representative Program as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 60 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.
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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.