HELLERTOWN, Pa. – A popular chain offering gas, made-to-order food and drinks and various convenience items is expanding its footprint in the Lehigh Valley.
Sheetz, the Blair County-based chain with more than 750 locations across six states, is planning to open its ninth Lehigh Valley location this summer at Main Street (Route 412) and Kichline Ave. in Hellertown.
The gas station and convenience store will operate across from the Interstate 78 East on- and off-ramps at Route 412.
A Sheetz location is coming soon to Main Street in Hellertown.
Ryan Kneller
The site was previously home to Star Pre-owned of Hellertown, a car dealership that was demolished last year.
Sheetz had originally hoped to open its new Hellertown location by the end of 2025, but weather-related delays and other factors led the company to update that target opening to sometime this spring in early February.
Now, the Hellertown location’s target opening has been pushed back again, according to Nick Ruffner, Sheetz’s public affairs manager.
“Sheetz’s store along Main Street in Hellertown is now expected to open in early July,” Ruffner told 69 News in a written statement this week.
“We anticipate having a more definitive opening date by late June and will be happy to provide an update at that time.”
A Sheetz location is coming soon to Main Street in Hellertown.
Ryan Kneller
Sheetz, founded by Bob Sheetz in 1952 in Altoona, Blair County, aims to offer “kicked-up convenience while being more than just a convenience store,” according to a company description.
The company is known for its made-to-order food, including burgers, chicken sandwiches, burritos and appetizers, and specialty drinks such as cold-brew coffee, lattes, smoothies and milkshakes.
Sheetz operates more than 750 locations across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland and Michigan, with all locations open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The new Hellertown location will be Sheetz’s ninth Lehigh Valley location, supplementing other locations on Lehigh Street in Allentown, East Fourth Street in Bethlehem, Schoenersville Road in Bethlehem, MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township, Trexlertown Road in Upper Macungie Township, Nazareth Road in Palmer Township, Trolley Line Drive in Palmer Township and Golden Key Road in Weisenberg Township.
A Sheetz location is coming soon to Main Street in Hellertown.
Ryan Kneller
It will operate less than two miles from the two-year-old location on East Fourth Street in south Bethlehem.
Another local Sheetz location is planned for the Saucon Valley Square shopping center on Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township.
Sheetz is continuing to expand its footprint in the Lehigh Valley, with Upper Macungie Township supervisors in February granting conditional use approval for a new convenience store and gas station in the township.
The proposal calls for an auto service station with accessory convenience store and drive-up window service on two vacant parcels at 871 N. Route 100 and 7535 Tilghman St. with access onto Route 100 and Tilghman Street.
The new Hellertown location will operate next to a new Lehigh Valley Health Network neighborhood hospital, which is expected to open later this year on the site of the former Champion spark plug factory.
The LVHN project is a three-story, 90,000-square-foot building, with the hospital occupying the first floor and medical offices on the two upper floors, according to a release by LVHN.