Citgo Service Station

The Citgo brand traces its roots to Henry Latham Doherty, who established Cities Service Company on September 2, 1910. The trimark logo and CITGO marketing brand appeared in 1965. After Occidental Petroleum acquired Cities Service in 1982, the retail, marketing, and transportation assets were spun off on March 18, 1983. CITGO moved its headquarters from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Houston, Texas, in 2004, where it is located in the Energy Corridor. Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), a Venezuelan government company, acquired 50% in 1986 and the remainder in 1990. U.S. sanctions imposed in 2019 mean the Venezuelan government no longer benefits economically from CITGO operations. The company operates independently in the United States under President and CEO Carlos E. Jordá. As of February 2025, the network included approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated branded retail outlets, with 117 total units, including 93 franchised units and 0 company owned units. The U.S. Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry has an estimated total addressable market of approximately $656 billion. PeerSense provides an independent analysis for prospective buyers and does not represent CITGO or act as a lender.

The U.S. Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry has an estimated $656 billion total addressable market and a 3.2% compound annual growth rate. The broader gasoline stations market reached $2.7 trillion in 2025, is projected at $2.8 trillion in 2026, and is expected to reach $3.35 trillion by 2030, with compound annual growth rates of 3.8% and 4.6% for those periods. The Gas Stations with Convenience Stores in the US market was $522.3 billion in 2025 and is projected at $520.3 billion in 2026. It grew at a 0.6% compound annual rate from 2021 to 2026, despite a negative 0.3% rate from 2020 to 2025. Growth factors include higher vehicle use, demand for one stop shopping, expanded retail formats, improved fuel efficiency, advanced point of sale systems, high traffic locations, and continued fuel demand. U.S. finished motor gasoline consumption averaged approximately 8.94 million barrels per day, or 376 million gallons per day, in 2023. Convenience retail, premium and additive enriched fuels, loyalty programs, and digital payments remain important trends. As of December 31, 2025, the United States had 151,975 convenience stores, including 122,620 that sold fuel, a 0.6% increase and the highest total in eight years. Convenience stores sell an estimated 80% of U.S. consumer fuel. Customers increasingly expect clean bathrooms, quality fuel, transparent pricing, better snacks, fresher grab and go products, wider aisles, organized coolers, and cleaner coffee stations.

The Citgo Service Station franchise fee is $25,000. Industry franchise fees generally range from $20,000 to $50,000 for startup costs. Total initial investment ranges from $140,900 to $1.30 million, depending on format, size, location, new construction, conversion of an existing station, and site improvements. Gas station franchises generally require $250,000 to $500,000 to start, with larger premium locations reaching $2 million or more. The Citgo range includes the franchise fee, site preparation, construction or renovation, initial inventory, supplies, fuel pumps, and storage tanks. Specific Citgo royalty rates and advertising fund contributions were not stated. General 2025 gas station franchise royalty benchmarks range from 4% to 8% of gross sales. Circle K is cited at 3% to 5.5%, BP at 4% to 12%, Raceway at $1,000 per month, and AMPM at 4% to 12%. CITGO pays for the first load of Top Tier™ TriCLEAN® gasoline, valued at up to $20,000, and may pay up to $50,000 for exterior signage and in store branding upgrades using the Illuminate design system. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is majority owned by PDVSA but maintains an independent U.S. presence.

A Citgo Service Station combines fuel sales with a convenience store offering products such as snacks, beverages, tobacco, and potentially car washes, ATMs, and lottery tickets. A planned new station in Centralhatchee, Georgia, will offer fuel, food, convenience services, and diesel. Staffing generally includes cashiers, with additional workers for food preparation or car wash services when applicable. Employee reviews on Indeed.com as of January 2026 state that corporate tends to look out for employees, while ownership of the location defines the work experience. Reviews also describe the stations as good places to work with good teamwork, particularly at busy locations where tips may be higher. The primary format is a traditional service station with an integrated convenience store and the Illuminate brand image. CITGO provides no cost, hands on learning seminars tailored to business needs. Support includes individual site visits, regional meetings, and a working convenience store laboratory for adopting established programs and procedures. Marketing support includes the Illuminate image program and up to $50,000 for signage and in store branding. The program has produced 23 times more engagements than non Club CITGO locations and includes training and a dedicated call center. CITGO also offers credit, payment, and fleet cards. Its supply chain includes three refineries with combined crude capacity of approximately 807,000 barrels per day, 38 active terminals expanding to 42 by September 2025, eight pipelines, and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. Historically, the network has focused east of the Rocky Mountains across 31 states and supplied approximately 4,300 branded gas stations. A brand licensing program targets Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, allowing qualified marketers and retailers to use the CITGO brand and marketing support while maintaining flexibility in fuel sourcing.

Buyers therefore must consider industry benchmarks, corporate financial information, and other unit level indicators rather than formal earnings claims. The U.S. Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores industry is valued at approximately $656 billion. Finished motor gasoline consumption averaged approximately 8.94 million barrels per day, or 376 million gallons per day, in 2023, while convenience stores sell an estimated 80% of consumer fuel. The branded network grew from nearly 7,700 outlets in 1988, a 22% one year increase, to approximately 14,885 in 1997, when CITGO had more branded retail outlets than any other company in the nation. As of February 2025, it supplied approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated outlets. A November 2024 report listed 1,014 convenience stores nationwide. Club CITGO members spend up to 30% more per transaction and pump 13% more gallons than nonmembers. The mobile pay app offers station owners zero transaction fees. Consumer research found a 15% increase in perceptions of CITGO fuel cleaning properties. The Citgo Service Station Loan Activity Score is 28, classified as Limited, which points to limited financial transparency in the FDD.

CITGO’s branded outlet count rose to nearly 7,700 in 1988 and approximately 14,885 by 1997, then became more concentrated at approximately 4,000 locally owned and independently operated outlets as of February 2025. The company reported 1,014 convenience stores nationwide in November 2024. On February 20, 2025, CITGO announced expansion of its brand licensing program into Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah, its first move beyond Texas into that region, with additional states to be evaluated later in 2025. The program lets qualified marketers and retailers use the CITGO brand and marketing support while sourcing their own fuel. Plans for a new Citgo station in Centralhatchee, Georgia, were announced on January 30, 2025. The station will provide fuel, food, convenience services, and diesel. The 2025 President’s Meeting took place in Nashville on September 24, 2025, and covered Club CITGO, mobile payments, Illuminate image standards, a mystery shopper program, technology, and Western U.S. brand licensing. CITGO’s competitive assets include its heritage dating to Cities Service Company in 1910, the trimark logo introduced in 1965, three refineries with combined crude capacity of approximately 807,000 barrels per day, 38 active terminals expanding to 42 by September 2025, eight pipelines, and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. The company ranks as the fifth largest independent refiner in the United States. Top Tier™ TriCLEAN® gasoline, the Illuminate Brand Image, Club CITGO, mobile payments, and credit and fleet cards support the retail model. Store renovations focus on better snacks, fresher grab and go products, wider aisles, organized coolers, and cleaner coffee stations.