Sheetz Opens Third Michigan Store With $2.39 Gas Bringing Early Morning Crowds

Cars lined up outside the new Sheetz in Chesterfield Township. The store at 29050 23 Mile Road drew crowds starting at 6:30 a.m., with customers rushing to grab $2.39 gas and opening day gifts.

"This is our third in Michigan but our first in Macomb County," said Nick Ruffner, public affairs manager for Sheetz, according to The Macomb Daily. "We're very excited."

Starting as a small shop in Pennsylvania in 1952, the chain now runs over 700 locations across seven states. Two stores near Detroit Metro Airport marked their Michigan start this year.

Customers can mix and match items at the store's food counter. Want fries in your salad? Tater tots in your breakfast wrap? The kitchen staff will make it happen.

Deborah Smith claimed the first spot in line. "I've been here since 6:30 a.m.," she said. "It's different. They sell a lot of food and it will be convenient for a lot of people."

The company plans to build 15 new spots across Southeast Michigan. New stores will pop up in Macomb, Roseville, Warren, Eastpointe, Fraser and Shelby Township.

Next on the list: Fraser. Workers started tearing down the old Fraser State Bank building Monday, with construction set to start in three weeks.

Long-time local Marianne Van Loon, 73, thought back to other store openings. "When Big Boy came it was like, 'Wow. Now we don't have to drive all the way to Mount Clemens,'" she said.

Staff from other states moved in to help launch the Michigan stores. Taylor Young left Virginia for a spot in Farmington Hills, where she'll train workers at the new locations.

The store sits just east of I-94 at Donner Road. Local Louise Balasa-DeGeorge wants better traffic control, suggesting split lanes for cars coming and going to stop backups on 23 Mile Road.