Sheetz Convenience Restaurant

Convenience Store
First Place
Chute Gerdeman Inc., Columbus, Ohio

When it started out 50 years ago, Sheetz was a gas station. Today, Sheetz is a $2 billion convenience store chain with 300 locations. But despite its success, the retailer wanted to put more emphasis on food items, to change the venue from being a “gas station with food” to a “restaurant with fuel.” To this end, the 10,000-square-foot prototype devotes most of its space to food service, including made-to-order salads, pizza and coffee, with a well-appointed dining area that has a contemporary, sophisticated feel.

Touchscreen ordering kiosks at an order island allow customers to view the selection, while also separating the food-ordering element from the food itself. The comprehensive environmental graphics program reinforces the Sheetz brand by incorporating its trademark colors (red and green), a clear, readable typeface, curvilinear design, and fun references to the brand (i.e., “Shmuffinz”). Wood and tile floors, as well as tile backsplashes and large, pendant lights, give the space a restaurant feel. Outside, the red brick, residential-style exterior features bright awnings, umbrella table seating and a two-story clerestory entrance that extend Sheetz's new focus.

Client: Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa.
Steve Sheetz, board chairman
Stan Sheetz, president, ceo
Louis Sheetz, executive vp, marketing
Joe M. Sheetz, vp, store development
Joe S. Sheetz, executive vp, finance
W. Daniel McMahon, executive vp, operations
Bill Reilly, executive vp, sales and marketing
Travis Sheetz, vp, regional manager of operations
Rick Cyman, vp, store development
John Moulton, director of store systems
Colleen Devorris, brand development
Ieva Allison, research
Tammy Dunkley, advertising manager

Design: Chute Gerdeman, Columbus, Ohio
Elle Chute, principal
Denny Gerdeman, principal
Wendy Johnson, program director/environments
Eric Kuhn, creative director/environments
Ann Dury, environments designer
Steve Pottschmidt, design development director
Carmen Costinescu, materials specialist
Mindi Trank, program director/graphics
Eric Daniel, creative director/graphics
Santiago Crespo, senior graphic designer
Steve Boreman, Chad Witzel and Brad Egnor, graphic designers
Susan Siewny, graphic production director
Tina Burnham, graphic production coordinator

General Contractor: Sheetz Inc., Altoona, Pa.

Architect: CG Architecture, Columbus, Ohio

Lighting: Schuler Shook, Minneapolis

Ceiling: Benjamin Moore Paint Co., Montvale, N.J.
Sherwin-Williams, Cleveland

Flooring: Hamilton Parker, Columbus, Ohio
Flooring Works, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Dal-Tile, Dallas
Endicott, Fairbury, Neb.
Grand Entrance, Gaithersburg, Md.

Signage/Graphics: LSI North America, Canton, Ohio
Blair Sign Co., Altoona, Pa
Allure Fusion Media, Atlanta
Florida Plastics, Orlando
Radiant Technologies, Atlanta

Lighting: Hite Co., Altoona, Pa.

Laminates: Wilsonart Intl., Temple, Texas
Octopus Products, Toronto
Arpa, Chicago
Nevamar Co., Odenton, Md.
Formica, Cincinnati

Solid Surface: Corian, Wilmington, Del.
Cambria, Eden Prairie, Minn.

Decorative Plastic: 3-Form, Salt Lake City

Powdercoats: Prismatic Powders, White City, Ore.

Wallcoverings: Johnsonite, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Dal-Tile, Dallas
Endicott, Fairbury, Neb.
Hamilton Parker, Columbus, Ohio
United States Ceramics, East Sparta, Ohio
Surface Style, Columbus, Ohio
Benjamin Moore Paint Co., Montvale, N.J.
Sherwin-Williams, Cleveland

Fixtures: Florian Cabinets, Pittsburgh
Ken's Graphics, Medina, Ohio
Royston, LLC, Jasper, Ga.

Furniture: Benchmark Design Group, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Fabrics: Designtex, New York
Maharam, Hauppauge, N.Y.
Architex, Northbrook, Ill.

Roofing: Pac-Clad, Elk Grove Village, Ill.

Photography: Mark Steele, Columbus, Ohio