Sheetz has officially opened its first store deep in Wawa territory, adding more fuel to the Great Debate of Pennsylvania.
The Altoona-based convenience store held the grand opening of its first location in Montgomery County on Thursday, across the street from a Wawa in Limerick.
The new Sheetz store located at 454 West Ridge Pike opened its doors to a flood of customers at 8 a.m.
Customers flocked to Sheetz’s first store in southeastern Pennsylvania during its grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.
CBS News Philadelphia
Sheetz employees held a ribbing cutting ceremony to mark the official grand opening. A line wrapped around the building before the store opened for business as customers waited to enter their names into a raffle and get their mitts on some free merch.
Throughout the morning, the store was packed with customers and nonstop orders. The gas pumps were rarely open, and the store is giving away free coffee and soda all day to celebrate.
Sheetz is also collecting canned goods from customers to donate to Philabundance.Â
A heated rivalry enters a new stage
CBS News Philadelphia has been on location all morning as the Wawa vs. Sheetz debate comes to a head in Montgomery County.
Many customers said they came because they love Sheetz, and for some, it brings back a lot of memories.
Elsa Ortiz drove an hour to come to the grand opening to pick up some sandwiches and coffee for her and her boyfriend.
She said she loves Wawa, but that Sheetz has a wider variety of food options. She said there are three Wawa locations in the area where she lives and hopes Sheetz’s first store in Limerick is the first of many to open in the Philadelphia area.
“It’s a serious rivalry,” Ortiz said. “I’m in the middle. I’m in the middle right now, but today, I’m Team Sheetz.”
Ortiz had a message for Wawa, a common theme CBS News Philadelphia found at the store and on social media.
“Come over and sneak their menu and try to open it up,” Ortiz said. “That’s how you get more followers.”
A customer at the brand new Sheetz in Limerick, Montgomery County, shows off his sandwich and his new Sheetz merch during the store’s grand opening on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026.
Rachel Tankle of Lansdale also believes Sheetz’s opening its first store in Wawaland will be good for competition.
“I think they came in hard and are like, ‘Hey, we’re going to steal some of your customers, and people are going to find that there are different offerings here that you can’t get over there,'” Tankle said.
On social media, one CBS News Philadelphia viewer commented that he believes that Sheetz’s opening its first store in the Philly collar counties could force Wawa to attempt to recapture its magic.
“Wawa has gotten complacent and a little too big,” Alex Couto wrote. “They need someone to come in and challenge them so they can get back to the standards they used to have. That being said, Wawa has the better coffee, but Sheetz is superior in every other way.”
“There’s a new player in town”
One of the first customers in line Thursday morning was a man named Dave. Dave loves the hot dogs at Sheetz. He said the chili cheese dogs are his go-to order. Before the doors opened, he offered some insight into the great Wawa vs. Sheetz debate. Â
“I think I overheard you say something like they’re giving stuff away? I wasn’t even here for that,” Dave said. “I’m just here for the bragging rights to be first in line. I don’t even drink coffee. I love Wawa, but the diversity. We need more choices. Wawa, I love you, but there’s a new player in town, so watch your back.”
Another customer told CBS News Philadelphia that she came to the Sheetz straight after getting off work. She said that her daughter went to school in Pittsburgh and loved Sheetz, so she wanted to see what all the jazz was about.
“I did enjoy Sheetz. Their food selection is good,” Amy said. “They have more options, but Wawa is trying to compete now. I’m Team McDonald’s.”
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