great question, I've always thought one would thrive in South Side and Oakland (doesn't even have to be a gas station, just a convenience store)

I said the same thing when I lived in oakland.

They don't want to pay the taxes. It's safe to assume that's why (mega corp x) doesn't have a location inside city limits.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/pittsburgh/comments/2zhlag/sheetz_coming_back_to_the_city/

There used to be a Sheetz in Oakland, right on Forbes Ave.

There used to be one in Oakland, back when I was attending Pitt in the 80s. Not sure when it closed.

It was on the corner of Forbes and Oakland Ave. Where the First National Bank is now (across the street from Stack'd).

Use to love buying chili-cheese hot dogs from there. Could get two of them for some really cheap price, something like 2 for $2. Might have even been two for a buck. I forget.

​

There was also a 7-11 on Forbes at the same time. Across the street from DLH (david lawrence hall; I think they just call it "lawrence hall" now). Where the 'forbes street market' now is.

Because we are waiting for a WaWa!!!! LETS GO EAGLES!

(J/k - just stirring the pot a little…🥳)

Probably the same reasons why Texas Roadhouses are only found in the suburbs.

college kids need cheap horrible food and that's just a fact

I've always suspected this was the answer, or the City would require some kind of site/traffic planning/mitigation that Sheetz wasn't willing to do. They're kind of a traffic magnet, like a Chick-Fil-A or a Starbucks. I saw the C-store-only version of Sheetz (no fuel) in Morgantown and that was a pretty nice affair. They could totally do that any number of places in town. I'm purely guessing though.

I always heard Sheetz takes a loss on the gas, in order to get people into the store and buy merchandise/MTOs. So yeah, double whammy of even if it was difficult/expensive to permit fuel tanks in the city, just open a MTO station and they'd make a killing.

I heard back in the day that it's bc the city has some kind of corrupt deal with Giant Eagle / GetGo (which is a crappy sheetz). Just your typical corrupt PA bullshit....

Based on that Lawrenceville picture someone posted a little while ago, apparently the GetGo at 40th and Butler used to be a Sheetz.

Because I don’t want one there.

Not in 2010. Closest one to my campus was Babcock Blvd.

I remember it was definitely a Sheetz.

It's complete nonsense that keeps getting repeated without any background at all.

the Quck Stop on Liberty and 34th Street used to be a Getgo

I’m not sure but putting one in South Oakland would be a total goldmine.

Yes and no. Higher costs generally associated with being in the city from taxes, rent/land purchase/wages etc but you can't really charge more for the good and services, not enough to match profitability outside the city anyway.

Things could be changing in the next few years on that front though, sheetz will probably end up in the city as they have aggressive growth targets for Western PA.

I worked on a design for one in city limits but it never ended up getting put in. Not sure the reasoning.

There used to be several Sheetz in the city, including 2 in Lawrenceville (across from Iron City and at Penn Butler and 40th.) I think they closed because this sites were too small to support the type of stores Sheetz was moving towards.The main reason Sheetz doesn't have any stores in the city is there just isn't much suitable land for them. They probably require 2+ acres, near a major intersection, easy access in and out (ie,dedicated left turn lanes), ability to get a ton approvals from city and state.

EDIT: Butler and 40th

Can you imagine how long you’d be waiting for your food, this isn’t my reasoning for that I’m just imagining that nightmare

And before that a Sheetz

I remember when it was a Cross Roads. They had the Three Dog Deal. Those were better times.

They to used to have some downtown. I heard they closed due to theft, there was so much theft they couldn't make a profit. However that was back when they were just convenience stores pre-MTO, so if they were there now they'd be doing great. Not sure how much of this is accurate it's just what I have heard.

Local taxes are a very small factor, if at all. It's land availability, easy access, and lots of traffic. Few places in the city meet the criteria,

the quick stop sign is peeling off and you can see the getgo sign underneath. so if you peel off the getgo sign there's a sheetz sign... and maybe under that a 7-11 sign?

Might be a crossroads in between getgo and sheetz.

GEETZ

I was in a focus group a little over a year ago, and I think it was about a Sheetz concept location within the city without gas pumps. I mentioned during the group that I'd heard rumors of Sheetz considering a location in Oakland back when that Marathon was torn down. The folks running the panel weren't happy that I shared that info, because everyone started sharing ideas about convenience stores.

Just as long as it never becomes a Wawa

Wawatz,

WAGEETZ

There's one in State College that's just the store with no gas, it's pretty popular.

Real Estate taxes are lower in the city than the suburbs.

Crossroads !

GetGo managed to expand within the city so it’s not impossible

The loss of that 7-11 while I was going there was brutal

That’s the second worst Getgo I ever been to .

Crafton #1 hands down

Too much crime of sheetz being robbed, the sheetz family doesn’t wanna return to putting their stores back in pittsburgh

This tracks. Sheetz business model is finding locations off the interstate on the edges of cities/towns.

My hometown used to have one without gas in the middle of town. They closed that decades ago, but now have 3 or 4 on the outskirts, all off I-81 exits. It’s the same here with the I-79 corridor.

Total? Once you factor in the city tax that doesn’t exist in the suburbs? Not saying you’re wrong. Just literally surprised at that.

Sure, it's not impossible, but Sheetz requires a much larger lot than Getgo. There just isn't a lot of land available that meets Sheetz criteria.

Are the ones in Bridgeville and Robinson still open?

Employers don't pay that tax

The property millage is lower in the city. And the state doesn't allow the city to collect another kind of corporate tax.

They couldn't find enough employees with pretty teeth 😀

The city is making it harder to get any kind of drive through permit (for good reason.... Even just a Wendy's does horrible things on Baum). So I'm sure we won't get a new chik fil a.

Lower than where?

Because we have better food at the same price point already?

Yeah, Sheetz needs tons of land for parking, which is at a premium and more expensive in the city. Plus most commercial districts and neighborhoods wouldn't want a big tacky red structure in their area.

All of the surrounding suburbs.

Wasn’t the get go on S. 18th a Sheetz? Where Jeff Reed punched the paper towel dispenser?

Sounds like you're from the western MD area (Hagerstown-ish, or Washington County, at least). That's how it was for me growing up lol.

I don’t think the number of pumps matter. Gas stations hardly break even on gas, so a few less pumps doesn’t make a difference compared to convenience sales.

There is one like this in State College, or at least it was there pre-covid.

That's fine with me!

Sharon PA. Same deal. Remember ordering MTOs w a golf pencil

This is the answer. Or at least it was the answer 10 years ago. Their executives were very clear that they would have stores in cities.

There was a tale, too, that Bob Sheetz visited an urban sheetz and encountered a cashier with "F*** You" tattooed across his knuckles. Allegedly, this was the origin of their over-the-top body image policies.

Omg, I forgot the golf pencil days. Jeez lol

Literally never

Yes to both, and one opened in Collier near the 79 exit a couple of years ago

It's a myth that stations barely break even on gas. There is absolutely profit to be made on gas. The markup is typically 10%. Apply that to a $75 fill up, that's $7.50. That's before expenses, of course. But there's very little labor cost in selling fuel vs MTO.

Then there's the convenience store business that is driven by having gas. If I need smokes and gas, I'm only going to want to make one stop.

Assuming this is the same paper towel incident...

https://archive.triblive.com/news/steeler-jeff-reed-charged-with-criminal-mischief/

Having a higher millage rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll pay higher taxes. Clairton has a 33.000 millage rate but the taxable value of your building is also much lower than Pittsburgh. (Though your taxes would be really high in Clairton on a new Sheetz to be sure just an example) Taxes definitely aren't the primary factor though, I would agree with that.

I can’t remember the last time I got just gas at Sheetz. I always go in for a Starbucks Doubleshot, bottle of Fiji or coffee.

Didn’t the one in Robinson move?0r rebuild in the same location?

In the 80s and 90s. At the corner of Forbes and Oakland Aves. I've been there so don't tell me it wasn't there.

See the other comments in this thread.

In the 80s and 90s at the corner of Forbes and Oakland Aves.

Right incident, I had the wrong Sheetz though

I live a stones throw away from there. That whole block is a mess.

That's the one. It was in New Alexandria. A solid 10-15 miles into Westmoreland County on Route 22. I pass it all the time. It's still funny to me.

It's currently off of Steubenville Pike not far from Central Diner, not far from the car dealerships on Campbells Run..If it moved I don't know where it used to be.

Those are suburbs

The one on route 8 isn’t far if you live on the east side of the city

Not sure what kind of Mandela Effect is going on here but I have zero recollection of any of these city Sheetz locations?

True. They'd even have a fair pool of students to offer employment, assuming those students have pretty teeth.

I moved to Ohio at 17. Lived in Scott Township all my life. I always figured the Robinson area would still have a Pittsburgh, PA address like I did

They could do food only mini ones like the location in downtown state college

It’s a real estate problem, not a tax problem. Too difficult to acquire site pads that meet their needs.

I remember buying pounds of ham for lunches.

There was never a Sheetz downtown.

Wrong again!

That was a Crossroads.

Used to visit my ex at UVA and they had a stand alone Sheetz there just for the food/convenience store

There was a rumor of one of those opening near Pitt, but it never came to fruition.

Home of The Winner, the world's largest off-priced fashion store and Daffin's magical chocolate kingdom

Don't forget Ryers!

Can confirm! I was surprised when we were walking around campus last summer to break up a long road trip.

Did you get the commercials back in the 90's-00's? I'm not sure if they aired in Pittsburgh, but up in Erie it was a non-stop mashup of this song with the Daffins, "just 90 minutes away".

Freaking Erie and the jingles. When I visit my parents they watch the local news and they're still going strong! I guess to their credit, they do work if 20+ years later I bring it up.

You could probably write Pittsburgh Pa on the envelope but it's definitely a suburb. Hell, even Bellevue is a suburb

I would hesitate to call Scott Township a suburb that's pretty far out there. I don't think you understand what city limits mean

I have 3 within 5 minutes of me. Sheetz is everywhere

Omg, yes! We had one at IUP mid 90’s. People would try to put their slip on top of the pile instead of underneath and an uproar would ensue. MTO’s we’re so much better then. Sigh.

I live in Upper St Clair and we are technically a Pittsburgh address. And we are definitely a burb.

The winner.. the winner... oh I heard it. Went to high school with Winners. Weird ass store irl

It was a prank, they’re building more student housing instead

Same. Although someone mentioned the 80s so yeah maybe back then — looks like MTOs were not a thing until early 90s so they were just the same as a 7-Eleven

Most people in Allegheny County write "Pittsburgh" as their address - regardless of where they pay their local taxes to.

The closest point in the city to USC is the city/Dormont border on West Liberty Ave.

They rebuilt in the same location and built a second one down 60 going toward Crafton.

I heard something that they have a deal with Giant Eagle to not compete with Getgo in the city but I’m not sure how true that is.

I live in Butler and there’s 4 within 5 miles of me. The amount of stores they have nowadays is absolutely insane.

As a New Jersey transplant, I’d love for some Wawa around here! Can’t beat those Sheetz app samplers though.

This is the correct answer. Giant Eagle also made that deal with Wegmans.

still is there, pugh st!!

there’s one like that in morgantown too

Yeah there was. I’ve seen photos of at least one on one of those vintage Pittsburgh IG accounts. In the 80s on the corner of Liberty and 9th where the now RIP (but opened in 1987) Sammy’s Corned Beef was. Seems like Sheetz had a pretty big presence in PGH for a period ending in the late 80s.

Listen, while I prefer Sheetz, I’d kill for a sizzli now and then….

I recall someone talking about this, and it was said that GetGo had an agreement with Sheetz to only have GetGo within the city limits. Not sure if that's the case though.

Anyone recall last April when someone put i up a bunch of “Sheetz - coming soon” signs on the construction fence around the Exxon on Forbes in Oakland. Truly a masterclass in pranking.

it was busy af

I only visit texas roadhouses for their bread

I yearn for a mount washington sheetz

In the city, I could buy it. But just within a mile of my old work place (outside city limits), there are two GetGos and two Sheetz

Scott township has a goofed up address because some jagoff in the postal service beefed with some other jag in Scott like over a hundred years ago and decreed that we will never have our own zipcode, nor our own post office (but there used to be one beneath the crooked bridge) and our border lines were going to be forever wonky, so our "sense of community" would forever be confused.

You can write that we have a Pittsburgh address, you can write Carnegie, it doesn't matter.

Because we need a Wawa with the good coffee instead and the city knows it.

Yup. Grew up in USC and wrote Pittsburgh. Never really thought about it before...

Where would they put it, at the bottom of Virginia Ave, where the Rite Aid now is?

RIP Sammy’s 😔

I used to live across the street from the Co-Gos there…that shit got robbed all the time.

That site is not appropriate for a drive through, like 4 cars wating and your into baum (moved 10+ years go so could be remembering wrong)

H

So? Getgo is focused on a smaller area or used to be.

Sheetz has a metric shit ton of locations and they are battling w Wawa on it's eastern front. And royal whatever when you go towards maryland

Why move into crammed areas that don't fit their giant gas tankers when you can go over to York pa, build a new giant denovo location in cheap land in the next up and coming exurb. Giant eagle is also a brand in Pittsburgh, and has synergies w getgo

Where I grew up my favorite sheetz shut down. 2 years later they opened up a huge one a few miles down the road right next to another gas station ... Somehow I think that other gas station got more busy

Also rutters on the secondary main truck routes

I didn't know this was a thing, never been to one

A girl came to one of our offices today and gave us peanuts and discount cards to welcome us to the area , one person kept raving about the bread

What would the deal be w Wegmans ? Why would Wegmans oblige ?

This is what I always thought too

The official 15241 zip code is Pittsburgh, not Upper St Clair. Either will get it delivered correctly, but the USC post office is listed as a "Pittsburgh" address.

2211 Lesnett Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15241

Probably has something to do with giant eagles exclusive rights within the city limits

AGREED! Build a Sheetz in the city!

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Honestly, it doesn't matter.

Suburbanites calling themselves "Pittsburghers" is technically wrong (you live where you pay local and school taxes), but it isn't hurting anyone.

I do wish people from Fayette and Butler would leave our names out their mouths, though.

I personally don't say I am from Pittsburgh, I generally say that I am from the South Hills because there's USC stigma. And we have lived in Squirrel Hill so we have done city life. My husband is retired Air Force so we have lived lots of places.

I grew up in the city and then moved to the "poor part" of Mt. Lebanon as a teen. My older friends would always dunk on me for being "rich now." I get that stigma.

That's getgo territory

Because the Pittsburgh restaurant Mafia doesn’t like competition

Mmmm chili cheese hotdogs. Should be on the city’s flag

Called puke st by the cool kids

The first one in the state without gas pumps went up in Indiana while I was at IUP. Major success. We called it drunk Sheetz

I used to go to that one in those days too. It was a GNC for a while after that.

I can't speak for now, but like 20 years ago when I worked in Sheetz management it was an unspoken idea that they avoided cities and high population areas. It wasn't their target business. They preferred places where people went versus places where people lived. Which is an overly simplistic way of putting it.

They had concerns with land cost, taxes, logistics, and security that made them just avoid those areas and prefer other areas.

I’m not sure, I never really thought about it past me wanting a mozzarella stick. There is the old bank that is just sitting empty while coughlins uses the parking lot, perhaps there

See: The Sheetz right in the middle of downtown State College

There's a car dealership that closed on West Liberty a few years ago - a variance notice appeared in the window saying that the owner / buyer was looking to redevelop and put a car wash in there. I was certain it was going to be a GetGo but that never materialized. Sad!

Robberies, a thing that only happens in the City of Pittsburgh.

When we pass it, we ask if anyone wants to stop at the Jeff Reed Memorial Sheetz. Someone needs to lose his shit on the one in Blairsville so we have a name for it as well.

Scott Township isn't in Pittsburgh, and neither is Robinson.
 
As long as your street address and ZIP code are correct, you could write "Fart Town, PA" on the envelope and it'll get delivered. The mailing address city is meaningless.

Replaced by Get Go and the stronghold of GE in our fair city….

There ought to be a plaque outside of the front door

Companies don't choose a location on a 1% difference in tax rates

Which is completely made up. Doesn't stop dolts from repeating over and over again.

...that dispenses paper towels

Where?

They have some like this - the one at downtown State College that a few people have referenced above was only the food bit, no gas. I worked at a Sheetz in Westmoreland county for 5 years and can confirm they do not want to be in the gas business. They're always trying to push over into just food, and encouraged us to act like we worked at "A restaurant, that just so happens to sell gas". I wish they'd open more food only locations. Also they have a sheetz drinks food truck (only made the shakes/smoothies/hot & cold coffee drinks) that they'd travel around to different public events, like the PGH marathon and whatnot - worked in it once and it was so chill while being nonstop busy, definitely an interesting experience.

Because Sheetz prioritizes large footprint parcels of land that can fit their large footprint gasoline, convenience, and restaurant layouts. Not only that, but multiple access points on an intersection is also high priority. That stuff doesn't even factor in space for drivethru, car wash, etc. that are nice-to-haves.

Real estate that can support requirements like these is nearly impossible to find within city limits, particulary in the Northeast.

Also, note that the "old Sheetz" locations that were in the city were purchased through acquisition, not opened as brand new Sheetz locations. Most of these small format locations have been phased out over time because they lack the revenue generation of big stores and can't support the brand/image that Sheetz wants to be known for.

Final comment - Distribution, especially using the supply chain model that Sheetz uses, is a bitch in cities...

Sheetz makes a shit ton of money off of gas.

About 10 years ago I had a neighbor who was a subcontractor building Sheetz stores. At the time he said Sheetz management told him they didn't have or want stores in cities because of the "bad element" in urban areas.

Take that for whatever that's worth.

HA HA! You win

Better than some pedantic white knight going around telling everyone they're wrong without providing any actual info or insight.

Same. Grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and they picked up a lot of areas now in the gasoline alley down I-81 in MD/northern VA.