Dive Brief:
- After initially saying its first store in Michigan would debut in 2025, Sheetz is now hoping to open the location in late 2024, Brian Dinges, assistant vice president of real estate for the convenience retailer, said in a statement.
- The store will be located at 33380 Wick Road in Romulus, Michigan, about 22 miles west of downtown Detroit, Dinges said. This location — along with the rest of Sheetz’s future Michigan stores — will feature a “restaurant-style experience” with made-to-order foodservice, indoor and outdoor seating, self-service kiosks and drive-thrus, he noted.
- While it’s too early in the process for a solid timeline on future Sheetz stores in Michigan, the retailer has “ambitious plans to grow” in the Great Lakes State moving forward, Dinges said.
Dive Insight:
Sheetz will continue working with Romulus city officials as it looks to open its first store in Michigan later this year, Dinges said. While he did not offer specific building details for this first location, he noted that Sheetz’s prototypical sites are about 6,000 square feet and have between 35 and 40 parking spaces and six to eight fueling positions.
Besides the restaurant-style foodservice, Sheetz’s first Michigan store will also feature both standard fuel and electric vehicle charging stations, along with a car wash, Dinges said. It will be open 24/7, 365 days a year, and Sheetz will begin hosting hiring events for its Michigan expansion next year.
“We cannot wait to bring our Sheetz culture to Michigan," Dinges said.
Michigan has become a popular destination for convenience stores over the past year. Kwik Trip debuted its first store in the state last September, while Kum & Go did the same in January. Meanwhile, Royal Farms has its first Michigan store in the works, which will open at an undisclosed date.
While Kwik Trip and Kum & Go’s Michigan stores are located far from Detroit in Ironwood and Grand Rapids, respectively, Royal Farms’ location is set to open in the new Romulus Trade Center — less than a mile from where Sheetz is building its store.
Altoona, Pennsylvania-based Sheetz operates 679 convenience stores across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland.
