WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America Inc. is expanding its footprint through franchising. In 2020, the company signed 21 franchise agreements and opened 10 new franchise locations. On Jan. 12, 2021, TA opened a travel center in Huntington, Ore., its first franchise site to open this year. TA expects to open two additional franchised travel centers by the end of first-quarter 2021 and 20 more by the end of the year.
The company, operator of the TA, Petro Stopping Centers and TA Express travel center brands, plans to open locations in Alabama, Georgia, California, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin. In addition, it is negotiating franchise agreements for more than 20 travel centers and has more than 80 other potential franchise agreements in its pipeline, it said.
“We’re expanding our footprint by focusing on strategic locations that will help us fill geographic gaps in our network and better meet the needs of our customers,” said Jon Pertchik, CEO of TA. “For truckstop and travel center owners, joining the TA network provides clear benefits and is an attractive opportunity. Most importantly, we support and invest in our franchisee partners and are deeply committed to helping their businesses grow and prosper over the long term.”
On May 1, 2020, TA announced a new strategic, long-term plan to improve operational efficiency and profitability, including a company-wide reorganization. Franchising is an integral part of the reorganization, it said, and a key reason TA has accelerated its franchise engagement efforts.
- TravelCenters of America is No. 28 on CSP’s 2020 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by size.
Founded in 1972 and based in Westlake, Ohio, TA has more than 270 locations in 44 states and Canada. Offerings include diesel and gasoline, convenience stores, truck maintenance and repair, full-service and quick-service restaurants, car and truck parking and other services and amenities for professional drivers and the general motoring public. It operates nearly 650 full-service and quick-service restaurants and 10 proprietary brands, including Quaker Steak and Lube, Iron Skillet and Country Pride.
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