Sheetz
Sheetz is a privately held American convenience-store and fuel retailer known for 24-hour stores, made-to-order food, coffee, and fuel services.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Sheetz, Inc. is a family-owned American convenience-store chain headquartered in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Its stores operate around the clock throughout the year and combine traditional convenience retail with fuel, made-to-order restaurant food, specialty coffee, bakery products, tobacco, beverages, and other travel-oriented services. Many locations include gasoline and diesel pumps, while selected larger sites function as truck stops with amenities such as showers and laundry facilities. The business began in 1952 when G. Robert "Bob" Sheetz purchased one of his father's five dairy stores in Altoona. His brother Steve later joined the company, and the family expanded the operation from a single local shop into a regional chain. The second store opened in 1963 under the Sheetz Kwik Shopper name, and the business began selling gasoline in 1973. Its first store outside Pennsylvania opened in Maryland in 1976. By 1983, the brothers had reached 100 stores, and the company subsequently removed "Kwik Shopper" from its name. Sheetz's principal competitive distinction is the integration of convenience retail and restaurant-style ordering. In 1986, store manager Earl Springer developed a made-to-order submarine-sandwich concept to improve sales at a Maryland location. The idea evolved into the MTO, or Made To Order, platform. During the 1990s, Sheetz replaced paper order slips with picture-based touchscreen ordering, becoming an early large-scale user of the technology in convenience foodservice. MTO later expanded into sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads, snacks, breakfast foods, customized beverages, and other prepared items. Sheetz Bros. Coffeez, espresso service, Shweetz bakery products, and MTGo! ready-to-eat foods extended the brand's food proposition beyond fuel and packaged goods. The company has also used technology and fuel variety as part of its operating model. It introduced touchscreen ordering during its Ohio expansion in the late 1990s and was an early retail adopter of contactless MasterCard PayPass in 2005. Sheetz began offering E85 at selected Pennsylvania stores in 2006 and later added other ethanol blends and ethanol-free gasoline at some sites. Its fuel offering generally includes 87-, 89-, and 93-octane gasoline, with diesel available at most fuel locations. Sheetz is especially strong in its home state and in markets such as Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and the Wyoming Valley. Its limited presence in the Philadelphia area has contributed to a well-known Pennsylvania rivalry with Wawa, although the companies themselves have maintained a friendly relationship. The chain has expanded progressively into Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and, in the 2020s, Michigan. It opened its first Michigan store in Romulus in 2024. The company also announced further planned expansion in Ohio and Indiana. As described in the cited reference material, Sheetz had more than 800 company-owned stores and over 21,000 employees by 2025. Sheetz remains controlled by the Sheetz family. Stan Sheetz became chairman in 2013, Joe Sheetz became president and chief executive officer that year, and Travis Sheetz became president and chief operating officer in 2018. In January 2022, Travis Sheetz succeeded Joe as president and CEO, while Joe became executive vice chairman. The business continues to combine regional store expansion with investment in food production, distribution, information technology, alternative fuels, and branded customer experiences.
History
Sheetz originated in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1952, when G. Robert "Bob" Sheetz acquired one of his father's dairy stores. The enterprise initially developed as a small local retail business. Bob's brother Steve joined in 1961, and the brothers opened a second location in 1963 under the Sheetz Kwik Shopper name. A third store followed in 1967. Steve became general manager in 1969, and the family accelerated expansion from the original plan of adding approximately one store per year. The chain grew from seven stores to fourteen in 1972. A major early turning point came in 1973, when Sheetz added gasoline and installed central Pennsylvania's first self-service fuel pumps. The first store outside Pennsylvania opened in Maryland in 1976. By 1983, Bob and Steve had built the business to 100 locations. Bob retired that year, Steve became president, and the company eventually dropped "Kwik Shopper" from its trading name. Foodservice became central to Sheetz's later identity. In 1986, Earl Springer, a manager in Williamsport, Maryland, developed a customized submarine-sandwich service in response to weak sales. Customers selected ingredients on paper slips, which employees prepared in the store kitchen. The concept became the MTO platform and grew into one of the chain's main sales drivers. During the 1990s, Sheetz replaced the paper process with picture-based touchscreen ordering. This was an important operational innovation because it allowed customers to customize meals quickly and consistently in a convenience-store setting. By 1999, the chain was reportedly preparing approximately 10,000 MTO items per day. The company resumed significant geographic expansion in the late 1990s. It entered Ohio in 1997, expanded into North Carolina soon afterward, and opened a distribution center in Claysburg, Pennsylvania, in 2001. In 2005, Sheetz introduced a MasterCard PayPass contactless payment card using RFID technology. It began selling E85 fuel in selected Pennsylvania stores in 2006 and opened Sheetz Bros. Kitchen in 2008 to produce fresh sandwiches and bakery goods for its stores. A second distribution and kitchen facility opened in Burlington, North Carolina, in 2014. Sheetz experimented with formats beyond the conventional fuel-and-convenience store. It opened a food-only location in a North Carolina shopping mall in 2003, later developing fuel-free café concepts near universities. These included locations associated with West Virginia University, Penn State University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia. Some of these sites later closed, but the experiments demonstrated the company's interest in applying its MTO and beverage model in settings without gasoline. The company also became involved in Pennsylvania's debate over alcohol retailing. Sheetz pursued authorization to sell beer through a restaurant-style model while state law restricted convenience-store alcohol sales. Litigation and regulatory proceedings culminated in a 2009 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision permitting takeout beer sales under specified conditions. Sheetz subsequently supported legislative reform, and Pennsylvania Act 39, signed in 2016, expanded the ability of convenience and grocery stores to sell alcohol. Family leadership continued through the expansion period. Stan Sheetz became chairman in 2013, while Joe Sheetz became president and CEO. Travis Sheetz became president and chief operating officer in 2018 and succeeded Joe as president and CEO in 2022. During the 2010s, the company expanded its information-technology capabilities, opening a technology center in Pittsburgh in 2019, and reached its 600th store that year. In the 2020s, Sheetz pursued a new phase of geographic growth. It announced plans for Greater Columbus and later Dayton in Ohio, expanded into additional Maryland and North Carolina markets, and announced entry into Michigan and the Toledo area. The first Michigan store opened in Romulus in August 2024. Sheetz remains a major regional convenience retailer with a particularly strong presence in Pennsylvania and a business model built around fuel, prepared food, digital ordering, coffee, and extended operating hours.
- 2024
Michigan expansion begins
[1]Sheetz opens its first Michigan store in Romulus.
- 2022
Travis Sheetz becomes CEO
[1]Travis Sheetz assumes the president and CEO roles, while Joe Sheetz becomes executive vice chairman.
- 2019
600th store opens
[1]Sheetz celebrates its 600th store in Shaler Township, Pennsylvania.
- 2013
Leadership transition
[1]Stan Sheetz becomes chairman and Joe Sheetz becomes president and CEO.
- 2008
Sheetz Bros. Kitchen opens
[1]The company opens its first commissary to produce fresh sandwiches and bakery products.
- 2006
E85 fuel is introduced
[1]Selected Pennsylvania stores begin offering E85 ethanol fuel.
- 2005
PayPass payment technology launches
[1]Sheetz introduces a MasterCard PayPass card using RFID contactless technology.
- 2001
Claysburg distribution center opens
[1]The company opens a distribution center in Claysburg, Pennsylvania.
- 1996
Touchscreen ordering is introduced
[1]Sheetz begins replacing paper food orders with picture-based touchscreen ordering.
- 1986
Made-to-order food concept begins
[1]A Maryland store manager develops the customized sandwich service that becomes MTO.
Products and positioning
A regional, family-owned convenience retailer positioned as a hybrid of convenience store, quick-service restaurant, coffee shop, and fuel stop, with strong emphasis on 24-hour access, digital customization, prepared food, and customer convenience.
Prepared food · 1986
MTO (Made To Order)
MTO is Sheetz's signature customized food platform. Customers use touchscreen ordering to select ingredients and configure sandwiches, wraps, burgers, breakfast items, salads, snacks, and beverages. Originating as a made-to-order submarine-sandwich service in 1986, MTO developed into the central restaurant component of the Sheetz convenience-store format.
Coffee and beverages
Sheetz Bros. Coffeez
Sheetz Bros. Coffeez is the chain's specialty coffee and espresso offering. Employees receive barista training, and the program is designed to provide a more extensive coffee experience than standard self-service convenience-store coffee. Espresso bars are available across the store network.
Bakery · 2008
Shweetz Bakery
Shweetz Bakery includes products such as doughnuts, fritters, and muffins. The items are produced and distributed through Sheetz's kitchen operations and are intended for customers seeking ready-to-eat bakery food alongside coffee and other beverages.
Ready-to-eat food · 2008
MTGo!
MTGo! is a grab-and-go range introduced for customers who want prepared food without waiting for a customized order. The assortment has included sandwiches, wraps, fruit, vegetables, and other small foods suitable for quick purchase.
Fuel retail · 1973
Sheetz fuel services
Fuel locations generally offer 87-, 89-, and 93-octane gasoline, with diesel available at most sites. Selected stores also provide E85, E15, ethanol-free gasoline, or kerosene. Fuel retail is integrated with the company's food and convenience business rather than operated as a standalone petroleum brand.
Controversies
2024
EEOC challenge to criminal-background screening
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Sheetz, alleging that the company's use of criminal background checks when screening applicants had a disparate impact on Black, Native American, and multiracial applicants. The matter concerned employment-screening practices rather than the safety or quality of Sheetz products.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Pittsburgh Pirates sponsorship
Pittsburgh and surrounding Pennsylvania markets
Sheetz entered a sponsorship agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates, placing its logo on the sleeves of Pirates jerseys. The relationship also connected the brand with the Altoona Curve, the Pirates' Double-A affiliate located in Sheetz's home city.
Outcome. The agreement increased Sheetz's visibility through regional professional baseball.
- 2011The Greatest Movie Ever Sold promotion
United States
Sheetz was a major sponsor of Morgan Spurlock's branded-documentary film POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. The company promoted the film in stores and sold collector cups. Altoona also ceremonially adopted the film's title as part of a sponsorship-related publicity event.
Outcome. The partnership generated national attention for Sheetz and became an example of the company's willingness to use unconventional branded entertainment.
Brand decisions
2022
Transition to Travis Sheetz as CEOOtherBackground
The family-owned company continued its multigenerational leadership succession.
Action taken
Travis Sheetz became president and CEO, while Joe Sheetz moved to executive vice chairman.
Aftermath
The transition preserved family control while placing the next generation in operational leadership.
2022
Michigan market entryStrategyBackground
Sheetz sought growth beyond its established Mid-Atlantic footprint and announced its first entry into a new state in more than two decades.
Action taken
The company announced stores for Metro Detroit and later the Greater Toledo area.
Aftermath
Sheetz opened its first Michigan location in Romulus in 2024.
2019
Greater Columbus expansionStrategyBackground
Sheetz identified Greater Columbus as a growth market and responded to customer demand from people familiar with the brand in Pennsylvania and nearby states.
Action taken
The company announced plans to open approximately 60 locations in the region, with the first stores opening in Delaware, Ohio, in 2021.
Aftermath
The expansion increased competition with established Ohio convenience and fuel retailers.
2016
Support for Pennsylvania convenience-store alcohol reformStrategyBackground
Pennsylvania law historically restricted alcohol sales in convenience stores, and Sheetz had already pursued beer sales through a restaurant-style licensing strategy.
Action taken
Sheetz supported the legislative effort that resulted in Act 39, which expanded alcohol sales opportunities for convenience and grocery stores.
Aftermath
The law changed the regulatory environment for Pennsylvania convenience retailers and enabled Sheetz to continue selling beer under the applicable licensing rules.
2006
Expansion into E85 fuelProduct launchBackground
Sheetz sought to broaden its fuel assortment and participate in the alternative-fuels market.
Action taken
Selected Pennsylvania stores began selling E85 ethanol-based fuel.
Aftermath
The company subsequently offered additional alternative-fuel options at selected locations.
1996
Migration to touchscreen orderingStrategyBackground
The paper-based sandwich-ordering process was increasingly difficult to scale as the food program grew.
Action taken
Sheetz phased in picture-based touchscreen ordering for customer meal customization.
Aftermath
The system became a core part of the customer experience and an early example of digital ordering in convenience retail.
1986
Launch of the made-to-order food modelProduct launchBackground
A store manager sought a way to address weak sales and developed a customized submarine-sandwich process.
Action taken
Sheetz adopted and expanded the concept into the MTO platform, eventually adding a broad menu of prepared foods.
Aftermath
MTO became a defining component of the Sheetz brand and a major differentiator from conventional fuel stations.
Recent events
- 2024
Sheetz announces sponsorship with the Pittsburgh Pirates[1]
Campaign
Sheetz entered a sponsorship agreement with the Pittsburgh Pirates, including placement of the Sheetz logo on the team's jersey sleeves.
- 2024
Sheetz opens first Michigan store[1]
Other
The company opened its first Michigan location in Romulus as part of its expansion into a new state.
- 2019
Sheetz reaches 600-store milestone[1]
Other
Sheetz marked the opening of its 600th store in Shaler Township, Pennsylvania.
Sources4 sources
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