3 C-Store Chains Expand Footprints to New Geographies

Could Ohio be the next hotspot for convenience stores? Maybe it’s the state’s proximity to the Midwest and East Coast that’s caused it to pop up in recent headlines.

Sheetz has plans to build a distribution center there. RaceTrac plans to expand to Ohio—and Indiana and South Carolina. And Buc-ee’s said it will open its first store in the Buckeye State, as well as Mississippi and Wisconsin.

Here’s a look at three c-store chains that are aggressively expanding into new markets.

Sheetz Inc. will construct a $145 million facility in Findlay, Ohio, that will house additional food preparation and distribution functions as the convenience-store chain expands its footprint into new markets to the west. The project will create more than 700 jobs over five years. The company has been working closely with Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, the Regional Growth Partnership and JobsOhio on the project.

“Sheetz is thankful for the cooperation and support of all the local, county and state leaders who have helped make this project possible,” said Sheetz President and CEO Travis Sheetz. “We’re excited to bring new opportunities to the area, as we continue to expand throughout the state of Ohio and into Michigan in 2025. Findlay is located in the heart of this new growth area and will play a big role in the future of Sheetz.”

• Sheetz is No. 12 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by company-owned store count. RaceTrac is No. 15  and Buc-ee’s is No. 153. 

With 685 stores, Sheetz’s primary footprint has long been in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. In the past year, however, the Altoona, Pennsylvania-based c-store chain has announced its first store coming to Michigan and outlined aggressive new-store growth for western Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Sheetz currently has two distributions in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Placement of a third distribution center in Ohio would give Sheetz proximity for expansion into Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, among other states.

RaceTrac is entering Ohio as it continues to expand north. The Atlanta-based convenience-store chain received approval of a final development plan on Aug. 14 from the Delaware, Ohio, city council, the city manager’s office confirmed.

The c-store will be located north of U.S Route 36 and state Route 37 in the city, which is north of Columbus, Ohio.

RaceTrac has more than 560 stores, primarily located in Florida, Texas and Georgia, along with locations in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Brendan Sexton, a project manager for RaceTrac, who spoke at an Aug. 2 Delaware planning commission meeting, said the chain was also expanding in Indiana.

“The greater Columbus area is on the move and a natural fit for RaceTrac,” the company told CSP Daily News. “The store design at this location is particularly well suited to serve the needs of small to mid-size fleet drivers and professional drivers with an expanded diesel offering."

The Delaware, Ohio, site will include a gas station with a 6,008-square-foot c-store, eight fueling islands for passenger vehicles, five fueling islands for larger vehicles and 34 total parking spaces, according to a planning commission staff report. The site sits on about 4.6 acres. The opening date for the store has not yet been announced, RaceTrac said. 

When a planning commission member asked about food offerings at the store, Sexton likened RaceTrac to c-store chain Sheetz.

“I would benchmark ourselves with Sheetz,” Sexton said. “We don’t have a made-to-order program that’s as robust as them. We’re focused on more of an efficient process where you can come in, get what you need and leave, but we do have a hot food order with items that are prepared fresh in the store.”

Sexton said RaceTrac has a couple other sites planned for central Ohio that are in various stages of permitting, and some coming to the Indianapolis area, too. The first RaceTrac store in Indiana will open in late fourth-quarter 2023, RaceTrac said, and a second store in the area will open shortly after. 

RaceTrac is also opening for the first time in South Carolina. The first two South Carolina RaceTrac stores are under construction in Greenville, and another along I-95, the company said. The stores are expected to open by the end of the year. 

Mega-convenience-store chain Buc-ee’s Ltd. planned to break ground on a new travel center in Harrison County, Mississippi, on Sept. 13, its first site in the state, the company announced. It also is planning to open its first location in Ohio, in Huber Heights, according to Mayor Jeff Gore.

Harrison County, Mississippi

The Buc-ee’s in Harrison County will occupy 74,000 square feet and offer 120 fueling positions and 24 electric-vehicle charging stations. Buc-ee’s traditional offerings, including Texas barbecue, homemade fudge, kolaches, Beaver Nuggets, jerky and fresh pastries, will all be available, along with the highly touted clean restrooms.

“Harrison County is a vibrant community with five thriving cities and stunning beaches,” said Stan Beard, director of real estate for Buc-ee’s. “It’s perfectly situated along I-10 between our Texas and Alabama stores, and we can’t wait to be the best place to stop on the Mississippi Coast.”

The store will bring at least 200 full-time jobs to the Harrison County area, with starting pay beginning above minimum wage, full benefits, a 6% matching 401(k) and three weeks of paid vacation, the company said.

Buc-ee’s did not offer a projected opening date for the store.

Huber Heights, Ohio

“The rumors you have heard are true!” Mayor Gore said in a Facebook post on Aug. 10. “The very first Buc-ee’s in the state of Ohio is coming to Huber Heights. It will be at the intersection of 235 and 70 in the northeast corner.”

The social media post included a plan for the nearly 53-acre site in the community near Dayton, which shows a 74,000-square-foot store, 120 fueling positions, 24 Tesla (EV) charging positions, eight diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) positions, 698 parking spots, 11 bus and RV parking spots and more.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported that Buc-ee’s will begin construction on a store in DeForest, Wisconsin, in 2024.

• Buc-ee’s is No. 153 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by store count.

Founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s has 46 locations, 34 in Texas, as well as 12 in other states. Since beginning its multi-state expansion in 2019, Buc-ee’s has opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The Lake Jackson, Texas-based company is also headed West with groundbreakings in Colorado and Missouri.