Global Partners objects to Applegreen’s Massachusetts project win

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Last week, Applegreen received approval to rebuild and operate 18 travel plazas along major Massachusetts roads, including the state’s main Turnpike, as part of the 35-year lease agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The MDT approved Applegreen’s pitch to take over the plazas over the course of two meetings on June 11 and 18. In the first of those, Scott Bosworth, chief of transit with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said that the MDT chose Applegreen’s proposal over those from several other notable convenience retailers, including Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, 7-Eleven, RaceTrac and Energy North Group, which operates the Haffner’s c-store banner on the East Coast.

That list also included Waltham, Massachusetts-based Global Partners, which has publicly expressed its frustration with the MDT’s decision in the days since it came down. Global Partners emphasized that its proposal was more cost-effective than Applegreen’s and is pushing the MDT to keep the state’s infrastructure local instead of working with a foreign company.

Global Partners said in a June 13 announcement opposing the MDT’s decision that its pitch for the travel plazas included over $1.5 billion in guaranteed rent and $650 million in capital improvements. While Applegreen’s accepted pitch included $750 million in capital improvements, it is expected to bring in between $623 million and $994 million over the lifetime of the deal, according to the MDT’s June 18 meeting. 

“In a decision that defies logic and long-term fiscal responsibility, MassDOT recently awarded the 35-year MA Pike rest-stop lease to a bidder offering nearly $900 million LESS in rent than Global Partners' local offer,” Global Partners said in a LinkedIn post on Wednesday that has since been deleted. “That’s $900 million that could have helped offset budget gaps, fix roads and bridges, and spare taxpayers from looming toll hikes and excise increases.”

Bosworth said in the June 18 meeting that Applegreen’s pitch included three types of plaza designs: coastal, metro and western, all of which will be deployed depending on which part of the state each store is in. While each location will be slightly different, they’ll all focus on creating more dwell time for consumers.

Meanwhile, Global Partners’ pitch included strategic partnerships with local food companies and regional QSRs, as well as an increased focus on “guest experience, sustainability, and equity,” according to its June 14 announcement. It did not mention anything regarding store designs.

“Our proposal wasn’t just financially stronger; it was built on our 90-year history of local investment, partnerships with homegrown businesses, and a vision for infrastructure that reflects the Commonwealth’s identity,” Mark Romaine, chief operating officer for Global Partners, said in the June 14 announcement. “This isn’t just about who operates a travel plaza — it’s about who we are as a state.”

Global Partners is urging residents to contact Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and state legislators “to demand transparency, accountability, and a deal that puts Massachusetts first” in an attempt to reverse the MDT’s decision.

“This fight for Massachusetts is not over,” the company said in a June 18 statement. “As MassDOT enters the next phase of the bid process, we hope they will truly consider what they’re giving up for the Commonwealth and weigh the risks before signing a lease.”

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