ROYERSFORD PA – For several hours Thursday (Feb. 12, 2026), the parking lot seemed perpetually full. Clerks, using a microphone connected to outdoor and interior speakers, kept calling numbers of orders ready to be picked up. The manager repeatedly showed customers how to work new automated beverage stations.
All occurred as one of the Sheetz company’s newest stores, Number 921 located at 454 W. Ridge Pk., made its grand opening debut in Montgomery County. Its arrival, and its rivalry with fuel-and-food chain Wawa (located directly across the street), had been the subject of conversation and speculation for months.
In casual interviews with customers, some quietly admitted to being Wawa fans. They joked about stopping by to check out the competition … and grab a freebie cup (or two!) of self-serve coffee or soda.
At least one self-declared Wawa patron even picked up a flyer about installing a Sheetz app on his phone. He was practical about the reason: “Never know when they might have a better offer,” he explained.
Photos by Travels With The Post
Growth of Sheetz and its Competitors
The Altoona PA-based company, founded in 1952, operates more than 900 stores in several states. It was ranked during 2024 by CSP (Convenience Store and Petroleum) News as 13th on its list of last year’s “Top 202 Convenience Stores.” A variety of news reports show the company in 2024 planned, made progress on, or completed other new locations in eastern Pennsylvania.
Collectively, Sheetz’s expansion projects mirror those locally of Wawa, Royal Farms, and other competitors in the industry.
A study done by Market Future Research in New York City reflects predictions of convenience store continuing annual market growth of about 3.5 percent through 2034. That’s due in part, it suggests, to stores that offer mobile phone ordering, faster service, healthier eating options, and their use as hubs for parcel delivery and pick-ups.
Related Reading
Read an earlier story, published during February 2025 by Travels With The Post, about Sheetz’s initial plans to build a store in Limerick Township PA.
Sheetz Proposes New Store and Fueling Center in Royersford
ROYERSFORD PA – A proposal to build a new Sheetz convenience store and fueling station in Limerick Township will be the subject of a Tuesday (Feb. 18, 2025) hearing to be conducted at 7 p.m. by its Board of Supervisors. The meeting, in the municipal building at 646 W. Ridge Pike, is open to the public and free to attend.
As Limerick’s governing body, the board will discuss and review a Sheetz Inc. application for approval of a zoning law conditional use to proceed with the project. It was announced in a legal notice published Feb. 4 and 11.
The site sits at the northwest corner of West Ridge Pike and Swamp Pike, it states, with an address recently assigned by the township fire marshal as 454 W. Ridge Pike. The U.S. Postal Service considers it a Royersford mailing address.
A 6,139 Sqaure-Foot Store
The supervisors’ meeting is being preceded by a scheduled Thursday (Feb. 13) meeting at 7 p.m. of the township Planning Commission. Its agenda includes a subdivision and land development review of the Sheetz project. That meeting, at the municipal building, also is open to the public.
Sheetz indicates it hopes to build a 6,139-square foot store on the vacant and unimproved property that is within Limerick’s Main Street zoning district. It would include a drive-through window, a six-pump gasoline station, parking for customer and over-sized vehicles, an unloading zone, signage, and trash enclosures, the legal notice says.
The township reports documents regarding the application are already on file at the municipal building and are now available for public inspection. The paperwork can be reviewed Mondays through Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Our local news reporting includes news about businesses and commercial ventures within, or that affect residents of, Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more business articles here.
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