Waltham-based Global Partners pushes back as MassDOT awards Mass Pike contract to Applegreen

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently awarded a 35-year contract to Applegreen, an Irish company partially owned by private equity giant Blackstone, to rebuild and refurbish 18 highway service plazas across Massachusetts. The decision has faced significant backlash from Waltham-based Global Partners LP, a Fortune 500 company that was passed over for the contract and currently operates convenience stores at 11 Mass Pike service plazas.

Applegreen’s proposal included $750 million in capital investment. The company plans to raze and rebuild nine service plaza locations while providing “significant refurbishments” to the other nine. These locations range as far west as Lee, as far north as Beverly, and as far east as Barnstable, with a majority on Interstate 90.

“The biggest thing that put [Applegreen] out ahead is the amount of capital investment,” said Secretary and CEO of MassDOT Monica Tibbits-Nutt.

Global Partners argued that their bid was stronger “on multiple fronts” and that their local ties with construction, vendors and other contractors prove their investment in the commonwealth.

“We’re tied to the local community,” said Global Partners Chief Operating Officer Mark Romaine. “We invest in the communities we operate in. We invest in the state where we have beyond sizable charitable efforts.”

In addition to offering approximately $1.5 billion to the commonwealth in guaranteed rent, Global Partners’ proposal included partnerships with CommonWealth Kitchen, a nonprofit food-business incubator, as well as with diverse, local restaurants such as Anna’s Taqueria and Pressed Café.

In a joint press release with Global Partners, Executive Director of CommonWealth Kitchen Jen Faigel said, “We were envisioning something bold: a reimagined model for public infrastructure — one that reflects the values, identity and entrepreneurial spirit of our commonwealth.”

Faigel called MassDOT’s decision “a missed opportunity to invest in Massachusetts and ourselves.”

“This fight for Massachusetts is not over”

When asked how the accepted proposal will affect the local business community, Tibbits-Nutt said that Applegreen’s updates would “greatly benefit all of our residents” and pointed toward their expected partnership with Suffolk Construction.

Additionally, Applegreen’s renderings, prepared by Upland Architects, provided different regional branding for “coastal,” “metro” and “western” service plazas.

“That [regional branding] is a really big push, not just for tourism, but also for our local businesses and being able to give them an opportunity to do business with Applegreen,” said Tibbits-Nutt.

Applegreen was recently contracted for a similar project on the New York State Thruway, a job that went 58% over its $450 million budget. As a result, the assigned construction company sought a $260 million taxpayer bailout, which was denied.

“You’re choosing an operator who has demonstrated a track record of cost overruns and mismanagement of projects,” said Romaine. “That introduces a level of risk.”

Global Partners and CommonWealth Kitchen encouraged residents, community leaders and business advocates to attend the MassDOT board of directors vote on June 18. According to Romaine, over 350 people — ranging from employees to local partners — attended in support of Global Partners. Applegreen, Romaine said, had four supporters: three top Applegreen executives and one Blackstone executive.

While Romaine could not comment on any legal action being pursued by Global Partners, a recent press release from the company said, “This fight for Massachusetts is not over.” According to Boston.com, Global Partners has also sent a letter to Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro seeking better transparency around MassDOT’s decision-making process. The only person who can overturn the decision is Gov. Maura Healey.

Applegreen’s lease and concession agreement for all 18 service plazas become effective on Jan. 1, 2026. According to Tibbits-Nutt, all work will be completed by 2028.