Louisiana Operator Hits 100 Travel Centers

Fuel-retail and quick-service operators see a co-branded travel-center model scaling fast across the South.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Louisiana Operator Hits 100 Travel Centers

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LV Petroleum, a family-owned company headquartered in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has reached 100 travel centers nationwide, up from 42 in 14 months. The company operates Sunoco Tatanka Oil travel centers with Subway restaurants and convenience stores across several states, a model of interest to convenience-store and quick-service operators.

Why it matters

The growth from 42 to 100 locations in 14 months shows how a regional operator can scale quickly through a mix of acquisitions and new builds. For operators in fuel retail and franchised food service, the pace signals how competitive site acquisition and co-branded travel-center formats have become.

LV Petroleum grew from 42 to 100 travel centers in 14 months, and reports operating more than 80 different franchise brands. The company's footprint spans Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma, plus Sunoco Tatanka Oil locations in Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.

The players

LV Petroleum

A family-owned operator headquartered in Lake Charles, Louisiana, running Sunoco Tatanka Oil travel centers and Subway restaurants across multiple states.

The details

LV Petroleum expanded through a combination of acquisitions and new-build locations, including its recent opening of a travel center in Lake Charles that pairs a Subway restaurant with a Sunoco Tatanka Oil convenience store. It also acquired the Gasoline Parking travel center in Bossier City, Louisiana. The co-branded model places quick-service food and convenience retail alongside fuel, a format that spreads fixed site costs across several revenue lines.

Growth from 42 to 100 travel centers occurred over a 14-month period.
LV Petroleum has now reached 100 travel centers nationwide.

Market Landscape

Co-branded travel centers that pair fuel retail with a Subway restaurant have become a recognizable format for regional operators seeking multiple revenue streams per site. LV Petroleum's expansion shows that format scaling beyond a single state through a mix of acquired and newly built locations.

Operators in fuel retail and quick-service food should weigh how co-branded travel-center formats affect site selection and franchise terms in their own markets. Those evaluating competitors in Louisiana and neighboring states may want to track where LV Petroleum adds locations next.

The takeaway

Regional operators can treat co-branded travel centers as a scalable template, but site economics depend on local traffic and franchise terms that operators should review with their own advisors. Watch for LV Petroleum's next acquisitions as a signal of where the format is gaining ground.