DETROIT — Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based chain of gas stations, has just one station in Michigan – in Romulus, to be exact – but that apparently won’t be the case for long.
Sheetz CEO Travis Sheetz said Thursday the chain – which includes a gas station/convenience store/restaurant combination – has much more in store for the state.
Speaking to business leaders gathered at Motor City Casino for the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce Policy Conference, Sheetz said the chain has “big plans for the area.”
“We’re just the one store again open in Romulus, but we have other projects coming, another one in Romulus, Chesterfield, Warren, Taylor,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch on the docket and more to come.”
Sheetz moved into its seventh state — it also operates in Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia -— when it opened in Romulus in August. Sheetz operates 770 stores and employs 27,000 workers.
Sheetz’s remarks Thursday come after the business faced backlash in other Metro Detroit, including Farmington Hills and Taylor. The Detroit News reported that some residents have raised concerns about 24-hour stations being located too closely to neighborhoods, along with worries about safety, traffic, and pollution.
Earlier this month, The News reported, the Farmington Hills City Council voted not to allow a Sheetz to open at 12 Mile and Middlebelt Roads. Sheetz still plans to build there, but at a different location in the city.
