How Buc-ee's is run
Buc-ee's says it does not offer franchises at this time. It argues that franchises and public companies have to keep their focus on money, at a cost to standards, and that staying private lets it focus on customers. (Buc-ee's FAQ)
Who owns Buc-ee's
Buc-ee's is privately owned and says it has no plans to become publicly traded. (Buc-ee's FAQ)
Franchises like Buc-ee's
If you want to own a convenience store business, these franchise brands sell the closest thing to Buc-ee's, largest first.
| Brand | Cost to open | Fee | Royalty | Locations | Sales a location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7-ElevenFee $0–$800K · Royalty Share of gross profit | $165K–$1.62M | $0–$800K | Share of gross profit | 8,303−502 in 3 yrs | – |
| Circle KFee $25K · Royalty 3.5–6% | $1.47M–$2.87M | $25K | 3.5–6% | 6,071+143 in 3 yrs | – |
| Holiday StationstoresFee $25K · Royalty 3.5% + fuel per gallon | $3.36M–$7.74M | $25K | 3.5% + fuel per gallon | 538+7 in 3 yrs | – |
| RacewayFee $25K · Royalty $1,000/mo | $198K–$585K | $25K | $1,000/mo | 237+24 in 3 yrs | – |
| Dash InFee $25K · Royalty 30% of gross profit | $120K–$680K | $25K | 30% of gross profit | 55+1 in 3 yrs | – |
| Farm StoresFee $25K · Royalty 6% + minimum · Sales $824K a location | $145K–$249K | $25K | 6% + minimum | 44+4 in 3 yrs | $824K |
Locations are US locations, franchised and company-owned, at the end of the latest year filed. Sales are yearly, before costs, where the brand publishes them.
7-Eleven is the largest, with 8,303 US locations, and Dash In costs least to open, from $119,600. Circle K added the most locations, +143 over 3 years. Of the brands that publish sales, Farm Stores reports the most per location, $824K a year. The typical retail franchise starts at $198K to open; see where the money goes.
Sources
Questions
Which of these convenience store franchises loses the fewest owners?
7-Eleven. About 1.1% of its franchised locations a year closed, were terminated or weren't renewed over the years its latest filing covers, against 13.2% a year at Farm Stores. Buy-backs by the franchisor and sales to new owners don't count as exits. Failure rates by brand