Petrol Station franchise - good idea...?

[astroarcadia]

Following on from the McDonald's thread I was thinking about petrol stations today.

Who has knowledge of how they are operated/managed. Who owns what?

How can one compete with the supermarkets now?

I often notice MFG on my fuel receipts.

[astroarcadia]

Unlike McDonald's you see plenty of forecourts closed and turned into hand car wash places.

What will become of these well positioned forecourts if the underground tanks make ground up development prohibitive?