Sheetz opens 3rd Licking County gas station, convenience store, restaurant in Etna Township

Maria DeVito, Newark Advocate
·2 min read
Staci Reed, center, the manager for the new Etan Township Sheetz location, cuts the ribbon during a grand open celebration for store on Thursday, Aug. 31. The Etna store, located at the corner of U.S. 40 and Ohio 310, is the third Sheetz location in Licking County.
Staci Reed, center, the manager for the new Etan Township Sheetz location, cuts the ribbon during a grand open celebration for store on Thursday, Aug. 31. The Etna store, located at the corner of U.S. 40 and Ohio 310, is the third Sheetz location in Licking County.

Popular gas station, convenience store and restaurant Sheetz is continuing it's growth in central Ohio.

Sheetz opened it's third Licking County location Thursday morning at U.S. 40 and Ohio 310 in Etna Township. The gas station, convenience store and restaurant chain opened a Heath location Aug. 16 on Ohio 79 and a Newark location on North 21 Street in March 2022.

Sheetz, which is based in Pennsylvania, first came to central Ohio in April 2021, when it opened in Delaware. Now, the company has 25 stores in central Ohio and more than 75 throughout the state.

Adam Sheetz, executive vice president of operations for the family-owned chain, said the locations in the growing central Ohio have been very successful.

"We just felt that the people out here were very similar to the people that we serve in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia and the places we've been for a long time," Sheetz said. "We thought it was a good fit for us, and that's really proven to be the case. It's exceeded all our expectations, both sales and just the support from the communities."

The support from the Etna community was evident Thursday morning as the parking lot was packed with roughly 100 people as the chain gave away multiple prizes, including a grand prize giveaway of free Sheetz for a year. They also welcomed customers by offering free self-serve coffee and soda for the entire day.

In honor of this grand opening, Sheetz donated $2,500 the West Licking Warriors Special Olympics team. Over the past four decades, Sheetz has been active with Special Olympics teams in communities where it has locations by volunteering and donating throughout the year and supporting annual Summer and Winter games.

Members of the West Licking Warriors Special Olympics team accept a $2,500 donation from Sheetz during the grand opening celebration for the chain's Etna Township location. The funds will go toward uniforms, competition fees, busing for away games, and more.
Members of the West Licking Warriors Special Olympics team accept a $2,500 donation from Sheetz during the grand opening celebration for the chain's Etna Township location. The funds will go toward uniforms, competition fees, busing for away games, and more.

Vicki Sussman, the local coordinator for the West Licking team, said the funds will help cover uniforms, competition fees, busing for away games and more.

"We raise all of our own money, so any contribution helps support our program," Sussman said.

It also donated $2,500 to the Pataskala's Storehouse for Jesus Food Pantry.

And even before the Etna location officially opened, Sheetz donated $1,200 earlier this month to Etna Township's upcoming Community Fireworks on Sept. 3 to cover additional expenses, Township Administrator Nita Hanson said.

"Being supportive directly of the township just shows what a commitment they have to the community itself," Hanson said.

Sheetz is a family-owned and operated business, headquartered in Pennsylvania, with 691 stores in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and several mid-Atlantic states. It started in 1952 as a deli and dairy to get quick food, then added fuel two decades later. All locations are open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Sheetz opens in Etna Township, third location in Licking County