Sheetz Muscles Into Wawa’s Territory with Plan to Open Store in Chester County

Sheetz is waging a fierce rivalry with Wawa in Chester County. According to a Philadelphia Business Journal report, Sheetz has unveiled a plan to open one of its first stores in the Greater Philadelphia area.

The convenience store and gas station chain plans to rehab a shuttered Rite Aid in Downingtown, across from a Wawa at the intersection of East Lincoln Highway and Bondsville Road. NNN REIT of Orlando, Florida, owns the 1.79-acre site. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, NNN REIT, a real estate investment trust, maintains triple-net leased properties throughout Chester County. Its tenants include AMC Theatres, Dave & Buster's, and 7-Eleven.

According to documents submitted to Caln Township, Sheetz wants to demolish the former Rite Aid building and replace it with a 6,139-square-foot convenience store that would include a drive-thru, 12 multiple-fueling gas pumps, and 45 parking spaces.

The new Sheetz location is anticipated to open on Sept. 1, 2026. 

Until now, the family who owns Sheetz has primarily kept the company's stores to the western and central parts of Pennsylvania, staying away from Philadelphia and its surrounding counties. Its convenience store and gas station rival, Wawa, dominates the Greater Philadelphia region. The closest Sheetz location to Philadelphia is in Morgantown, outside the Chester County line.