OTR is a well-known convenience store and petrol station brand in Australia, offering a wide range of services including 24/7 retail, hot food, coffee, fuel and more. Many entrepreneurs interested in joining the convenience retail sector ask whether OTR offers franchise opportunities in Australia. The answer is: OTR does not offer franchise opportunities in the traditional sense.
Company-Owned Model
OTR operates under a company-owned or corporately controlled model rather than a standard franchise framework. Each OTR site is either owned by the parent company, or operated under agreements where OTR retains significant control over branding, operations, supply and standards. This means that independent entrepreneurs cannot simply purchase a franchise licence and run an OTR store under the usual franchise model.
Because OTR’s growth strategy involves opening new sites, acquiring fuel and retail sites, and managing them within the group, the brand maintains consistency across its network. The company manages store design, supply chains, fuel agreements, marketing, food service partnerships and convenience-retail standards centrally, rather than delegating those to independent franchisees.
Why No Traditional Franchise Offering
By not offering franchises, OTR is able to preserve tighter control over its brand, operations and customer experience. When stores are company-operated or under closely aligned arrangements, the business can ensure uniformity in store presentation, product offering, fuel supply, food services, convenience retailing and customer service. This model can simplify regulatory compliance, supply-chain management, fuel forecourt operations, and brand consistency.
For potential store operators, this means that becoming a business owner under the OTR brand is not a route offered through a typical franchise licence. Instead, opportunities to engage with OTR may be via employment, management roles, or investment in properties leased to or partnered with the company—but not in the form of owning an OTR franchise.
Implications for Aspiring Business Owners
If your goal is to own and operate a convenience store or fuel-retail site under the OTR brand as a franchisee, you will need to adjust expectations: the brand’s structure does not support independent franchise ownership. Instead you may look at other convenience retailer brands that explicitly offer franchise models, or explore other business ownership routes in the petrol/convenience sector.
If you’re interested in alignment with OTR, you might explore alternative opportunities such as leasing property to the company, participating in fuel retail investment partnerships, or working in senior management within the brand’s existing network. But the licence-to-own-and-operate route under OTR is not available in the way traditional franchises are.
Conclusion
In summary, OTR is a strong and recognised convenience-and-fuel retail brand in Australia, but it does not offer franchise opportunities in the way many other retail concepts do. All its stores are operated under company‐owned or tightly controlled business models rather than independent franchise licences. For entrepreneurs wanting to enter the fuel and convenience retail industry under a prominent national brand, the OTR route will not provide a classic franchise model—other brands or independent ownership options will need to be considered.
