ALTOONA, Pa. and OKLAHOMA CITY—Sheetz is expanding into Western Pennsylvania, with plans to open up to 30 new stores over the next three to five years, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“Even though Sheetz has a long history in Western Pennsylvania, there are many areas that could benefit from the 24/7 convenience that our company provides,” said Brian Dinges, director of real estate for Sheetz, in a statement.
There are currently 294 Sheetz locations in Pennsylvania and 650 total stores across the nation, with footprints in West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.
In April, the c-store retailer announced it would expand into Western Ohio by opening about 20 locations in Dayton over the next five years. Sheetz is currently aiming to open its first Dayton store in 2024. In April 2021, Sheetz opened its first store in the Columbus, Ohio, market. Sheetz operates 56 locations in Ohio.
In June, Wawa announced plans to expand its footprint in Central Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River. Wawa is currently in Berks and Lancaster counties with 17 stores and has been in these counties for more than two decades. Wawa plans to double its store count over the next three to five years with its first store opening as early as 2024 and the potential for opening up to 40 additional stores in Central Pennsylvania communities.
Love’s Enters Connecticut
Meanwhile, Love’s Travel Stops announced a new store opening in Willington, Connecticut—the company’s first in the state. The 8,000 square-foot store adds 56 truck parking spaces and 50 jobs to Tolland County.
“Opening our first location in Connecticut reaffirms Love’s commitment to providing quality products and services that are easy to access for customers across the U.S.,” said Greg Love, co-CEO of Love’s. “Love’s will continue to add new locations, ensuring that travelers have a safe, clean and well-maintained place to stop when they see the Heart of the Highway.”
The location is open 24/7 and offers many amenities, including Godfather’s Pizza and Subway; 50 car parking spaces; three RV parking spaces; seven diesel bays; three showers; a CAT scale; bean-to-cup gourmet coffee; a Fresh Kitchen concept; a Mobile to Go Zone with the latest GPS, headsets and smartphone accessories; and a dog park.
In honor of the grand opening, Love’s will donate $2,000 to Willington Public Schools.