Sheetz president and CEO dies, but the convenience store rivalry is eternal
Stephen G. Sheetz, the former Sheetz president and CEO who popularized the Altoona convenience store chain, died Sunday. His legacy — and the Wawa vs. Sheetz rivalry — lives on.
The namesake behind Wawa’s biggest rival, Sheetz, has died.
Stephen G. Sheetz, the man responsible for taking a family-owned convenience store in Altoona, Pa., and transforming it into a multibillion-dollar empire, was 77. The company announced his death in a statement Monday, citing respiratory complications after having been hospitalized with pneumonia.
And while Wawa fans may be suspicious of how the chain’s fried food, or coffee, or even gasoline stacks up against their supreme leader’s, there’s no denying Sheetz’s legacy and vision.
Sheetz served as the chain’s CEO and president from 1984 to 1995, overseeing its expansion. After that, he was chairman of the board for another 18 years.
The former president was just 12 when he began working at the original Sheetz Kwik Shopper, founded by his brother, Bob Sheetz. He graduated from Altoona Area High School in 1965 and from Pennsylvania State University four years later.
Penn State named Steve and his wife, Nancy Sheetz, as its 2010 philanthropists of the year, following their donation of $2.5 million to the school’s Altoona campus. It was the campus’ largest donation in its 70-year history. The couple tacked on another half a million that year, funding the establishment of an entrepreneurial center and a Sheetz Fellows program.
“I try to provide a positive influence,” Steve Sheetz said at the time in a university statement. “I really hope that students in the program will be better prepared for the world they’re about to enter, whether it’s business or another profession.”
As supervisor and director of operations at the chain, he oversaw the expansion of Sheetz convenience stores, with the intention of opening a new location every year, according to the company’s website. Over the next 14 years, Sheetz would grow to 100 locations.
“Above all, Uncle Steve was the center of our family,” Sheetz president and CEO Travis Sheetz said in a statement. “We are so deeply grateful for his leadership, vision, and steadfast commitment to our employees, customers, and communities.”
Today, with over 800 locations across six states and about 25,000 employees, the business remains largely family-run.
Offering a hodgepodge of fast food, including burgers, hot dogs, and mozzarella sticks, the chain has its super fans, just like Philly’s own Wawa phanatics.
They call themselves “Sheetz Freakz.” And they start them young.
Take Dylan LaMotte of Lynchburg, Va.
In 2020, then-8-year-old Dylan went viral for his mom’s video of him wearing a shirt that said “Youngest Sheetz Freak” and pitching ideas for the chain’s menu.
Steve Sheetz himself flew to Lynchburg to surprise Dylan and gift him $5,000 toward his daily order of fries and a slushie. In other instances over the years, the company has rewarded other superfans with hefty donations to their charities of choice.
Perhaps worse than the Eagles-Steelers contention, the Wawa vs. Sheetz clash is considered among “the most heated food rivalry in the country.” There’s even a documentary in the works. In its simplest terms, it’s a question of taste, regional devotion, and loyalty.
In 2020, The Inquirer tapped Pennsylvanians Sen. John Fetterman (who was lieutenant governor at the time) and U.S. Rep. Brendan F. Boyle to weigh in on the debate.
Boyle, who is team Wawa, helped cut the ribbon on Wawa’s first D.C. location. He joked that it was the “Philly Embassy in Washington.”
“Sure enough, as I approached the D.C. Wawa right after the game, the crowd of people wearing Eagles jerseys was out the door. The Philly diaspora had had the same thought I did. We flocked to our ‘embassy’ to celebrate,” he said.
Fetterman, who is pro-Sheetz, said, “Whether I’m Jeeping it home from Harrisburg, or on the road asking yinz and youse about legalizing cannabis, the warm red glow of a Sheetz awning beckons with red beet eggs, a hunk of cheese, and the rich cavalcade of the entire family of Duke’s smoked shorty sausages.” He added, “It is a given that Sheetz is far superior.”
At the end of the day, the rivalry isn’t going anywhere. But you can still respect the man behind the mystique.
“Steve’s guidance shaped nearly every aspect of our family business,” said Joe Sheetz, chairman of the Sheetz board of directors. “He was a mentor for every leader who has followed him, and his vision, wisdom, and entrepreneurial spirit will be missed deeply by everyone at Sheetz.”
Altoona Mayor Matt Pacifico also released a statement, saying “Steve had a genuine, tangible love for the City of Altoona, as shown by his contributions, actions and initiatives. We send our sincere sympathy to Steve’s family during this difficult time, as well as immense gratitude for his lasting contributions to our City and its residents, that will be his legacy for years to come.”
In addition to his wife, Nancy, Steve Sheetz is survived by two daughters, Megan Sheetz and Nicole Sheetz Frith; seven grandchildren; and six of his seven siblings, including his brother Bob Sheetz.