The Sheetz location in Buffalo Township will be torn down and rebuilt much sooner than at least one township official expected.
The gas station and convenience store along Route 356 will close Oct. 27, with an anticipated reopening sometime in April, Sheetz confirmed.
Workers will be offered other jobs with the company in the interim.
On social media, Supervisor Michael Oehling Jr. said the project originally was set to start — not end — in April, but “top brass” at the company decided to get working sooner.
He later told TribLive the closure could really limit late-night eats in town since Sheetz is one of the only 24-hour establishments. GetGo, across the street, also is open around the clock, but that’s no substitute for Oehling.
“Me, personally, I don’t think GetGo competes with Sheetz on that matter,” he said.
In the ultra-competitive world of convenience stores, Sheetz appears to be betting on expanded footprints and food offerings to stay near the top of the market.
Company spokesperson Nick Ruffner said the Buffalo Township rebuild will create a “restaurant-style experience,” with self-service kiosks, a drive-thru and additional indoor and outdoor seating. A car wash will be added, too.
Though the store will grow to about 6,100 square feet, it will be flanked by only five double-sided fuel stations, down from seven.
In Western Pennsylvania, Sheetz stores in excess of 5,000 square feet are increasingly standard, but customers usually have to leave their cars to buy what’s inside. Only a few of the company’s stores in the region boast a drive-thru — like the ones in Harrison and a newly opened location in Plum.
