Franchise Facts Report → brands → TravelCenters of America (TA Center)

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) franchise — is it worth it?

Medium risk Growing network Item 19 disclosed

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) operates in the automotive category, offering a franchise model with a significant initial fee.

Everything below is free, read straight off TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s registered filing. Weighing TravelCenters of America (TA Center) against other options? Get a free shortlist of franchises that fit your budget.

Figures above are as disclosed in TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s most recent FDD (registered 2026). Source: Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration · filing 640380 — check it yourself. See every other Wisconsin-registered franchise.

How much does a TravelCenters of America (TA Center) franchise make?

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) is one of the franchisors that answers this on the record: its most recent FDD makes an Item 19 financial performance representation — actual unit earnings figures, disclosed by the franchisor itself. The headline figure is $8,490,022 in average unit revenue — read it alongside what Item 19 says about which units it covers (often only mature or top-performing locations). See every automotive brand that discloses earnings in the Automotive franchises with disclosed Item 19 earnings ranking.

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) franchise profit vs. revenue

Revenue is not profit. An Item 19 almost always reports sales — what a location takes in — not what an owner keeps. Out of that number come TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s 4.5% royalty, the ad fund, rent, payroll, supplies and debt service. No FDD tells you a TravelCenters of America (TA Center) franchise's profit, because profit depends on your site, your rent and how you run it — so treat any "TravelCenters of America (TA Center) franchise profit" figure quoted elsewhere as someone's estimate, not a disclosure. On $8,490,022 of revenue, a 4.5% royalty alone is about $382,051 a year before any other cost.

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) lawsuits & legal history (FDD Item 3)

TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s most recently filed Franchise Disclosure Document (2026) does disclose 6 legal proceedings in Item 3 . Item 3 is the item where a franchisor must put its material legal history on the record. Two things it is not: it covers the franchisor and its predecessors, parents and affiliates, so a disclosed case is not necessarily a suit against TravelCenters of America (TA Center) itself; and a disclosure is a fact, not a finding of wrongdoing — most entries are contract disputes with former franchisees, which every large system accumulates. 1 of those proceedings were brought by franchisees against the franchisor — the split that actually matters, because franchisees suing their franchisor is the signal a buyer is looking for. Item 3 of the source FDD describes each case.

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) closures & failure rate

Before you sign, TravelCenters of America (TA Center) will hand you a list of current owners to call as references — and they choose who's on that list. It won't include the owners who quit, got bought out, or were forced out last year. The FDD does report that number, even though the reference list leaves those people off. Below is what TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s most recent filing shows, and whether it's normal for a automotive of this kind.

The closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate is Item 20 — outlet openings, closures, terminations and non-renewals, reported by the franchisor. TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s latest tables show a growing franchised network. Net franchised outlets moved +19 to 33 in the latest reported year.

Who owns TravelCenters of America (TA Center)?

TravelCenters of America (TA Center)'s franchise is offered by TA Franchise Systems LLC — the franchisor named on the cover of its most recently filed Franchise Disclosure Document (2026), and the entity a franchisee actually signs with. That name comes straight off the filing at WI DFI; it identifies the franchisor, not necessarily the ultimate parent company behind it. The same franchisor files separate FDDs for other brands, which is worth knowing — sibling brands share a franchise-support organization but disclose their own numbers:

Other automotive franchises

Anyone weighing TravelCenters of America (TA Center) is really weighing it against the other brands their money could go into. These are the closest by total initial investment (FDD Item 7), each with its own FDD-based page.

TravelCenters of America (TA Center) franchise — frequently asked