Can the opening deadline for a Petro Stopping Center be extended, and under what conditions?
Petro_Stopping_Center Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ing your Franchise Agreement, weather, the scope and complexity of your construction, construction delays, and financing issues. Additionally, in some jurisdictions (including California) we have seen supply chain and permitting issues delay construction by an additional 12 to 18 months in some circumstances.
You must open the Petro Center within 24 months after signing the Franchise Agreement (the "Opening Deadline"). If you believe that it will take you longer to open the Petro Center, including as a result of the factors listed above, then you may negotiate an extension to the Opening Deadline in connection with the execution of the Franchise Agreement, in accordance with our then-current extension policies. If you need to request an extension to the Opening Deadline after execution of the Franchise Agreement, we may, in our sole discretion, agree to extend your Opening Deadline by providing written confirmation of the extension to you and we may require you to pay an Opening Extension Fee. The amount of the Opening Extension Fee is currently set as follows: (a) If you request and receive an extension at the time of execution of your Franchise Agreement, then the Opening Extension Fee is $60,000 for a 12-month extension, with a $5,000 refund for each full thirty-day period that you open prior to the extended deadline; (b) If you request and receive an extension following execution of the Franchise Agreement, then the Opening Extension Fee is a non-refundable $25,000 for a 12-month extension; and (c) If after obtaining a 12-month extension, you request and receive a further ex
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 44–53)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Petro Stopping Center's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the standard opening deadline is 24 months after signing the Franchise Agreement. However, a franchisee can negotiate an extension to this deadline. This negotiation can occur when the Franchise Agreement is initially signed, based on the franchisor's current extension policies.
If an extension is needed after the Franchise Agreement is already in effect, Petro Stopping Center may, at its discretion, grant an extension in writing. However, this may require the franchisee to pay an Opening Extension Fee. If the extension is requested and received at the time of the Franchise Agreement, the fee is $60,000 for a 12-month extension, with a $5,000 refund for each full thirty-day period the Petro Stopping Center opens before the extended deadline. If the extension is requested after the Franchise Agreement is executed, the fee is a non-refundable $25,000 for a 12-month extension. Further extensions beyond the initial 12-month extension incur a fee of $7,500 per month.
Petro Stopping Center retains the right to increase these Opening Extension Fees based on factors such as the number of prior extensions requested, the number of franchised locations the franchisee has, and situation-specific factors. This policy provides flexibility for franchisees facing delays but also introduces potential costs that must be considered in the initial financial planning.