Sheetz will open its first convenience store in Michigan near the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, according to documents filed with the city’s Planning Commission.
While still in need of city approval, the proposal includes a 6,000-square-foot c-store and restaurant with a drive-thru window on 5.37 acres with 12 gasoline pumps and five diesel pumps.
- Sheetz is No. 12 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. convenience-store chains by company-owned store count.
The company first announced plans to expand into the state of Michigan in November, aiming to open its first stores there in 2025. However, as the retailer works with the city, it now expects the Romulus site to open in the latter part of 2024.
Sheetz also has “ambitious plans to grow in Michigan,” Brian Dinges, assistant vice president of real estate at Sheetz, told CSP Daily News. “While it is too early in the development process to provide a timeline or location for any additional stores, our goal is to offer Michigan residents the ultimate one-stop shop to fuel their bodies and their vehicles.”
Shetz has entered an ambitious period of new-store growth, expanding its reach to the west. A year ago, Sheetz began expanding into western Ohio, with plans to open approximately 20 convenience stores in Dayton over the next five years. And in July 2022, Sheetz said it plans to expand its presence in western Pennsylvania by as many as 30 locations within the next three to five years.
“Expanding our footprint by entering Michigan made sense given our presence in areas of Ohio. We believe our brand and unique offerings will resonate with the residents of Michigan. We also believe our focus on people and the communities we serve will align well with the values of this state,” Nick Ruffner, Sheetz’s public relations manager, told CSP in November.
Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz operates 670 convenience stores across its six state footprint, which includes Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.