How Much Does an APlus Franchise Cost?

An APLUS Store requires an estimated initial investment of $239,850 to $2,270,400 across five distinct configurations in the 2026 disclosure. That full span is not one interchangeable estimate: a Leased APLUS Store, a Non-Leased APLUS Store conversion, a new Non-Leased APLUS Store, and the two Captive Market formats each have their own Item 7 range.

The outer range answers only the first capital question. It does not show how much must be liquid on signing day, how much can be paid through vendor schedules, or what a landlord or lender may require. The low end and high end also belong to different premises arrangements. A reader should therefore select the correct format first, then trace the due dates inside that format rather than treating the two endpoints as a negotiable budget.

The standard franchise charge is only one component of the opening commitment. Premises costs, fixtures, inventory, permits, insurance, travel and the operating reserve are paid to different parties at different times. The disclosed total is designed to collect those categories into one opening estimate; it is not a statement that the entire amount is remitted to the franchisor at once.

Capital snapshot

The key figures separate the signing charge, working-capital allowance and continuing percentage obligations before the detailed format analysis.

Premises responsibility and venue type determine the applicable range. When the premises are leased from the franchisor, Sunoco Retail LLC pays for and oversees construction or conversion and then leases the site to the franchisee. When the premises are owned by the franchisee or rented from a third party, the applicant bears the disclosed construction, design and graphics costs. A Captive Market adds venue-specific franchise-fee, rent and concession exposure. See the franchisor's official real-estate information for the public description of its site and lease activities.

The format decision changes who controls the premises and who carries the build-out risk. Under the franchisor-lease structure, the applicant avoids the construction categories shown for an owner-controlled or third-party site, but accepts a continuing rent schedule and a higher monthly minimum royalty. Under the other structure, the applicant negotiates the real-estate relationship and pays the site work directly. The venue-based version adds another layer because concession rights, venue rent and local government charges may be determined outside the ordinary store agreement.

These ranges should be read as separate contracts, not as five pricing tiers for the same asset. A conversion assumes an existing facility that can be adapted. A new build assumes a larger construction scope. A venue location may be physically small yet carry a substantial right-to-operate charge. Square footage alone therefore does not identify the correct total.

Construction is the dominant disclosed variable for a new Non-Leased APLUS Store. The 2026 disclosure assigns $375,000 to $1,100,000 to construction, compared with $213,000 to $293,000 for Store Fixtures and Equipment. Sunoco LP's official equipment information describes the broader equipment and point-of-sale support context, but the figures below come only from the official investment table.

A floating range is useful here because the endpoints are not additive assumptions. The construction maximum, equipment maximum and inventory maximum should not be combined into a new unofficial total. The franchisor's published total already reflects its own methodology, including category interactions, optional amounts and rounding. Site quotes should be compared against the official total rather than used to manufacture a substitute estimate.

The payment recipients also differ. Contractors and vendors receive most of the build-out money, issuing agencies receive permit payments, an architect or designated vendor receives design-related charges, and suppliers receive the inventory and equipment payments. That distribution matters for cash planning because vendor deposits, progress billing and final payment schedules may not align with the agreement-signing date.

The conversion estimate assumes the existing location is in good condition and excludes landlord allowances. The disclosure also warns that engineering permits may add $20,000 or more to a conversion. For either non-leased path, approved design, equipment and construction obligations should be reconciled with the specific premises before treating the published range as a complete site budget.

The cash commitment begins at agreement signing, then moves through premises work, pre-opening purchases and the first three months of operation. The FDD estimates two to six months from signing the Franchise Agreement to commencing operations, although leases, permits, weather and equipment delays can extend that period. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 11, pp. 42–43.

Refundability also depends on the payment. The standard signing charge is generally earned when received, subject to limited exceptions stated in the initial-fee section. The security deposit is different: it secures present and future obligations and may be applied against amounts owed, but an unused balance can be returned under specified end-of-term circumstances. If any part is used during the relationship, the franchisee must restore it.

Several opening categories say “as arranged.” That wording does not make them optional; it means the timing follows the applicable lease, vendor invoice, insurance policy or government process. The practical cash calendar must therefore combine the disclosure with written quotes and the actual project schedule.

The recurring cost contract depends on whether the premises are leased or non-leased. Leased stores owe the greater of 6% of Gross Sales or a $2,000 Minimum Monthly Royalty Fee. Non-leased stores have a royalty of up to 4% of Gross Sales, with a minimum calculation equal to the greater of 4% of Gross Sales or $1,000 per month. Captive Market locations may pay up to 15% of Gross Sales instead of the regular royalty. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 9–24.

The monthly minimums create a floor even when the percentage calculation is lower. For a leased location, the royalty payment cannot fall below $2,000 for the month; for the other premises structure, the disclosed floor is $1,000. Rent, marketing, technology and communications charges remain separate. A cash forecast therefore needs distinct lines for each obligation rather than one blended “franchise fee” line.

The due dates also matter. The marketing payment is due before the royalty payment each month, while rent follows the lease schedule. Technology and equipment-rental charges are monthly but can change with system requirements or installed equipment. None of those percentages should be translated into an annual dollar amount without actual sales data, which the cost disclosure does not provide.

Gross Sales is a defined contractual sales base, not the amount remaining after expenses. It includes merchandise, services, equipment rentals, inventory variation and specified vendor payments without deductions for cost of goods, labor or other expenses. The definition excludes fuel sales and specified taxes, refunds, commissions and other listed categories. The exact Item 6 definition should be used when testing any percentage fee.

The other-fee table contains material event-driven costs that are not part of ordinary monthly operations. Thesecharges arise from venue terms, supplier non-compliance, audit findings, defaults, transfer, early termination, missing insurance, delayed opening or additional training.

These amounts should be reviewed as scenario costs. They are not automatically added to the opening total, but they can become due quickly when a triggering event occurs. Some are fixed; others depend on underreported amounts, transfer consideration, remaining contract months or actual enforcement expense. A useful review should identify the event, the calculation method, the payment deadline and whether the charge is cumulative with other remedies.

The FDD also discloses a $100 inventory-review wait fee, insurance procurement costs plus up to $1,000 of franchisor costs, additional training at $1,000 per week for each third or later attendee in a year, a $1,500 convenience transfer fee, a $1,000 transfer evaluation fee, and an optional conference fee up to $800 per person. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 6, pp. 9–24; Item 11, pp. 44–46; Item 17, pp. 53–64.

The 2026 APLUS Store FDD does not state a fixed Liquid Capital, Net Worth or Non-Borrowed Funds minimum. Those concepts must not be substituted for the Estimated Initial Investment. The document does disclose that the Collateral Security Deposit varies with credit rating, and transfer candidates must satisfy then-current financial qualifications.

The absence of a published threshold does not mean the offer has no financial screening. The applicant still must demonstrate enough resources and credit for the selected premises, project invoices, opening inventory and reserve period. It means only that the disclosure does not provide one fixed public number that can be quoted as the system's official cash or balance-sheet requirement.

Item 10 states that Sunoco Retail LLC does not offer direct or indirect financing and does not guarantee a note, lease or other obligation. A narrower, optional Equipment and Construction Funding Program applies to non-leased locations. Item 1 describes a Funded Amount that offsets construction and equipment invoices and is amortized monthly over the agreement term. Item 6 lists an agreed amount up to $150,000 at execution and says the franchisee pays that amount to the franchisor for spending on its behalf. Because those payment descriptions are not fully aligned, the exact cash direction, amortization schedule and account-credit treatment should be confirmed in the specific funding agreement. The program is not a general promise of approval. Source: 2026 FDD, Item 1, pp. 4–5; Item 6, pp. 17 and 22; Item 10, p. 39.

The minimum Development Agreement covers four APLUS Stores and carries a $37,500 Development Fee at signing. The fee equals $15,000 for the first store plus $7,500 for each of the next three stores. It is a fee-credit mechanism, not the total capital for four stores: each location still requires its own opening investment, subject to inflation and the applicable format.

The credit structure reduces the amount prepaid for later franchise charges, but it does not reduce construction, inventory, rent, deposits or reserves for those locations. The developer also signs separate agreements as stores are developed, and later agreements may use the then-current form. Capital planning should therefore be performed store by store and matched to the development timetable.

The opening table is an official estimate, not a site-specific maximum. Several obligations remain dependent on location, premises condition, credit, venue contracts, approved options and future system standards.

The most important unresolved questions are usually outside the arithmetic. They concern whether the site satisfies the assumptions, whether a license is available at the stated estimate, whether approved equipment can be reused, whether a landlord contributes to the work, and whether the three-month reserve matches the actual opening schedule. Those questions should be answered with documents tied to the proposed premises.

The FTC consumer franchise guide explains how to compare the disclosure document with the Franchise Agreement. The Wisconsin active franchise registrations provide a separate government record showing Sunoco Retail LLC's current registration status in that state; registration is not an endorsement or verification of the FDD's figures.

The central decision is the premises and venue contract, not the $15,000 standard Initial Franchise Fee. A leased store has the lowest disclosed entry range but adds franchisor rent and a higher minimum royalty. A non-leased conversion or new build shifts construction, design and equipment obligations to the franchisee. A Captive Market can materially increase the fee, rent and royalty structure. In every format, the Item 7 total includes three months of Additional Funds, while liquid capital and net-worth thresholds remain undisclosed and must be confirmed through the current qualification process.