Sheetz opens $36M commissary to feed its foodservicesSheetz opens $36M commissary to feed its foodservices

ALTOONA Pa. Sheetz Inc., operator of the namesake regional convenience store chain, said it would break ground on a 140,000-square-foot production facility that will prepare and distribute food items daily to the company’s 334 locations.

Sheetz is known for its made-to-order burgers and sandwiches, and devotes a significant portion of its outlets to foodservice and the sale of grab-and-go items.

Called the Sheetz Bros. Kitchen, the new facility will prepare made-to-go food items like sandwiches, wraps, salads, parfaits and bakery products for existing locations as well as future outlets in the MidAtlantic region. The facility is expected to cost about $36 million and contain an estimated $10.5 million in production equipment. It will create an estimated 435 new jobs over the next five years, the company said.

Sheetz generated $268.0 million in systemwide sales for the year ended September 2005, according to Nation's Restaurant News Second 100 census of chains and companies in the foodservice industry.