BP America Inc./Thorntons

In 2023, BP America Inc./Thorntons completed a $1.3 billion acquisition of TravelCenters of America Inc., Westlake, Ohio. The acquisition marked "a milestone for the U.S. in the growth of bp's strategic convenience and mobility business," according to bp officials. The transaction gave bp 280 travel centers, located on major highways across United States, almost doubling bp's global convenience gross margin and adding an estimated $800 million in earnings by 2025.

The Chicago-based company owns convenience-store brands ampm, based in La Palma, California and Thorntons, Louisville, Kentucky, which it acquired in August 2021.

The ampm brand expanded to the East Coast in August 2022 with a store opening in New York City. The brand's key focus is foodservice, with a program that emphasizes coffee, bakery, fresh sandwiches and hot prepared foods. A large fountain program offers up to 24 varieties of soda and proprietary drinks. Stores have an open floor plan, with some featuring open-air refrigerated cases carrying a selection of fresh sandwiches, fruit and yogurt.

Since it acquired Thorntons in 2021, bp has been integrating the chain into its business. The legacy the Thorntons family established was one of the reasons why the chain was attractive to bp and the minimal number of changes made to the stores in the last few years was by design, officials said.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2024.