Jun. 26—WILKES-BARRE — Sheetz, a major Mid-Atlantic restaurant and convenience chain, will officially open its new store located at 815 Kidder St. on Thursday, July 6.

Workers were putting the finishing touches on the new store, located near the Wyoming Valley Mall in the city's East End section.

But Sheetz is not the only new business that will be opening along Kidder Street. According to Bill Harris, Wilkes-Barre City's Planning & Zoning Director, Starbucks intends to build a new store on the site of the former Long John Silver's, which was demolished on Monday. Harris also said Denny's plans to locate a restaurant on the land between Sheetz and where Starbucks is building.

Nick Ruffner, PR manager for Sheetz, said Sheetz is excited to be offering Wilkes-Barre residents a new store, which will include a restaurant-style experience with self-service kiosks and seating both inside and outside the store.

"The new store, which will be slightly over 6,000 square feet, will include 12 fuel terminals and a drive-thru for customers that are on the go," Ruffner said. "Sheetz has always had a great relationship with Luzerne County and the community. We look forward to continuing to serve these residents by opening our sixth location in the county."

A news release from Sheets stated that the grand opening festivities will begin outside the store at 9 a.m. with multiple prizes awarded, including a grand prize giveaway of free Sheetz for a Year.

—A value of $2,500 in a Sheetz gift card; no purchase is necessary to win; must be present to win and over the age of 18 to enter.

The store's official ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 10:45 a.m.

This new location, which opens to the public at 8 a.m., will also welcome customers by offering free self-serve coffee and soda for the entire grand opening day.

"Deeply committed to the communities it serves and in honor of this grand opening, Sheetz will donate $2,500 to the H & J Weinberg Northeast Pennsylvania Regional Food Bank, a Feeding America organization that distributes more than 14 million pounds of food each year in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties," the news release stated.

Customers attending the grand opening are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item to the nonprofit. Those who donate will receive a Sheetz branded thermal bag — limit one per customer while supplies last from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

A second donation of $2,500 will also be presented to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania. A proud supporter of the Special Olympics for more than 30 years, Sheetz also extends its support to the organization through product donations and event volunteers.

Included in the latest "Companies that Care" list by Great Place to Work and PEOPLE Magazine, Sheetz said it is committed to supporting the local communities it serves.

For the second time in three years, Sheetz said it was the only convenience store chain included on the list which highlights the top companies in the U.S. that have succeeded in business, while also demonstrating outstanding respect and care for their employees and communities.

Sheetz was also ranked third in the most recent Best Workplaces in Retail list by Fortune, trailing only Wegmans Food Markets and Target.

Named a Best Regional Fast Food Chain by USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards, Sheetz will offer its award-winning Made-to-Order menu at the new location, where customers can order any of Sheetz's customized specialty drinks or food items around the clock.

Sheetz currently operates more than 675 store locations across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland, with all locations open 24/7, 365 days a year.

Starbucks and Denny's

Harris said a land development plan for Starbucks was approved by the city's planning commission on March 16, 2022. He said he expects applications for building permits to be submitted soon. The parcel is located at 785 Kidder St.

Harris said Denny's has been looking at 805 Kidder St., located between the new Sheetz and the former Long John Silver's restaurant.

Ina Times Leader story in July 2020, management of Denny's said the franchise planned to relocate just up the road to where the former Valley Diner stood.

The Wilkes-Barre Planning Commission had approved the land development plan for the chain restaurant's move to 805 Kidder St.

The plan that was submitted and approved called for the construction of a 4,552-square-foot restaurant with seating for 151 people and 98 parking spaces.

A paved lot around a concrete pad and signage for the Valley Diner are all the remain after a fire of undetermined origin destroyed the diner on Oct. 28, 2018.

The existing Denny's at 488 Kidder St. sits at the intersection with Scott Street.

Before you move on, we invite you to become a Times Leader Advocate. You'll receive some great benefits, including our Diamond Card with local discounts and deals, access to our E-Edition, a faster, reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.

Click now to support or get more information.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.