Sheetz
Encyclopedia
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...
s owned by the Sheetz family. Stores are located in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Sheetz has long employed the "Z" that the name ends with in various marketing efforts. These include Sheetz' re-loadable gift card- The "Z" card, the Sheetz breakfast sandwich – known and marketed as "Shmuffinz," and their "Nachoz."
History
Sheetz, Inc was founded by Bob Sheetz in 1952 when he purchased one of his father's five dairy stores located in Altoona, PennsylvaniaAltoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
. In 1961, Bob hired his brother Steve to work part-time at the store.
In 1963 the second store was opened under the name "Sheetz Kwik Shopper." Five years later, they opened the third store. In 1969, Steve joined Bob in the business as general manager. The brothers planned to expand at the rate of one store per year with a target of seven stores by 1972. In 1972, the company expanded from seven to fourteen stores. One year later, Sheetz added gasoline pumps and introduced self-serve gasoline to Central Pennsylvania.
By 1983, Bob and Steve had opened 100 stores. The following year, Bob retired and handed over the leadership of the company to his brother Steve.
In 1995, Stan Sheetz, Bob's son, became president and Steve assumed the position of Chairman of the Board. To this day, Sheetz maintains a family business with five family members serving on the Executive Committee.
During the mid-1990s, Sheetz also sold It! Cola, the chain's own private-label brand of soft drinks available in cans, bottles, and as fountain drinks. Despite a cult following, the drink was discontinued for unknown reasons and the fountains were replaced with Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
products. The chain now has both Pepsi and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
products in the fountains, though in older stores with fewer fountain spots available it is still predominantly Pepsi products, with Coca-Cola and Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Diet Coke is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was first introduced in the United States on August 9, 1982, as the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark...
as the only Coke-related options.
In 2003, Sheetz opened a concept store in the food court of Hanes Mall
Hanes Mall
Hanes Mall is a shopping mall located off I-40 on Silas Creek Parkway between Stratford Road and Hanes Mall Boulevard in Winston-Salem, North Carolina...
in Winston Salem, NC. This location offered Sheetz' made-to-order foods and fountain beverages in a more traditional fast food layout; it did not function as a convenience store. The store has since closed.
In early 2004, Sheetz opened the world's first "Convenience Restaurant" in Altoona, PA. In December 2004 they began offering the new Sheetz Mastercard PayPass with RFID technology built into the card, and was one of the first retailers of any sector to accept such technology, ahead of McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Arby's
Arby's
Arby's is a fast food restaurant chain in the United States and Canada. Roark Capital Group owns 81.5% of the company, with Wendy's Company owning the other 18.5%. It is primarily known for selling roast beef sandwiches and curly fries. The Arby's menu also includes chicken sandwiches, appetizers,...
, CVS
CVS Corporation
CVS Pharmacy, or simply CVS, is the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States , with over 7,000 stores in 41 states and Puerto Rico...
, and rival 7-Eleven
7-Eleven
7-Eleven is part of an international chain of convenience stores, operating under Seven-Eleven Japan Co. Ltd, which in turn is owned by Seven & I Holdings Co...
, all of which rolled it out nationally in 2006.
On July 10, 2006 Sheetz became Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's second retail chain to offer E85
E85
E85 is an abbreviation for an ethanol fuel blend of up to 85% denatured ethanol fuel and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. E85 is commonly used by flex-fuel vehicles in the US, Canada, and Europe. Some of the benefits of E85 over conventional gasoline powered vehicles include the potential...
ethanol-based fuel alternative at the select stations.
Sheetz now has locations across six states — Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina — and more than 11,000 employees. All Sheetz stores are company-owned-and-operated. The company has no plans to sell franchises.
Food service
Sheetz started off with their signature "MTO" name, which stands for "Made To Order." By 1999, Sheetz was selling 10,000 MTO units a day. Sheetz now hires and trains baristaBarista
A barista is a person, usually a coffee-house employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.- Application of the title :...
s for their newest brand of "Sheetz Bros. Coffeez", which are designed to be higher-grade coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
than typically found in convenience stores. With the introduction of the "Convenience Restaurant" concept, they have expanded their menu. Customers can purchase made-to-order sandwiches
Sandwiches
"Sandwiches" is a song by American electronic band Detroit Grand Pubahs. It reached number 29 in the Hot Dance Club Songs chart.- Track listing :...
and hot dogs, as well as pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
, panini
Panino
Panini are small, filled, bread rolls, which are sometimes toasted. They are Italian in origin, but now found in other countries.In Italy, panino is the word for a sandwich made with a bread roll. Sandwiches there are customarily made from a roll or loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta or a rosetta...
grilled sandwiches, breakfast items, salads and chili
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
. French fries, chicken strips, and other fried appetizers are available at all locations. The Espresso Bar, which offers specialty coffees, are also available at certain locations. During 2008-2009, Sheetz rolled out "MTGo!", a grab and go assortment of sandwiches, wraps and other small items for the customer in a hurry. Along with "MTGo!", Sheetz unveiled "Shweetz Bakery" items including donuts, fritters and cinnamon rolls all made and delivered daily from the new "Sheetz Bros. Kitchen" in Claysburg, PA.
Sheetz regularly offers customers free coffee on Christmas Day and New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
.
Alcohol sales in Pennsylvania
By Pennsylvania state law, alcohol can't be sold in convenience stores (beerBeer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
must be sold at a beer distributor while hard liquor must be sold at state-operated stores titled "Wines & Spirits"). In 2007, Sheetz tried to find a loophole
Loophole
A loophole is a weakness that allows a system to be circumvented.Loophole may also refer to:*Arrowslit, a slit in a castle wall*Loophole , a short science fiction story by Arthur C...
around this by classifying part of one of their prototype stores in Altoona as a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
, which would permit alcohol sales. However, the Malt Beverage Distributors Association of Pennsylvania cried foul and Sheetz was temporarily barred from selling beer. On appeal, Sheetz was awarded the license to sell beer and continues to do so today. On June 15, 2009, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the court of last resort for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It meets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.-History:...
gave Sheetz permission to sell beer for takeout under the condition that it is also available to drink on site.
Fuel
All Sheetz stores feature gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
, most offer kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
, and many offer diesel. Some Sheetz gas stations in the Pittsburgh area have begun to offer E85
E85
E85 is an abbreviation for an ethanol fuel blend of up to 85% denatured ethanol fuel and gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. E85 is commonly used by flex-fuel vehicles in the US, Canada, and Europe. Some of the benefits of E85 over conventional gasoline powered vehicles include the potential...
.
Awards
In 2001, Sheetz won a Silver Plate Award from the International Food Manufacturers Association. ForbesForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
ranked Sheetz as the 79th top privately held company in 2006.
Sheetz was ranked as the 12th best large company to work for in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the 2007 Best Places to Work in PA survey. In the same survey in 2006, Sheetz was ranked 22nd. In 2005, Sheetz was ranked 12th.
In Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Sheetz is ranked in the top 5 places to work.
Use of trans fats
In addition to calorie and fat contents in their MTO sandwiches that can be reduced based on customer choice, trans fatTrans fat
Trans fat is the common name for unsaturated fat with trans-isomer fatty acid. Because the term refers to the configuration of a double carbon-carbon bond, trans fats are sometimes monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, but never saturated....
is an ingredient in nearly every food item. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has requested that the Pennsylvania legislature require of Sheetz and other fast food retailers phase out their use of all trans fats, an action which Sheetz, in part, is fighting.