On opening day, many customers were no doubt drawn to the new Sheetz by the advertised price of gas at the Southside Bethlehem store, which is about 35 cents cheaper than the current average price throughout the area.
The area’s newest Sheetz gas station and convenience store opened in South Bethlehem Thursday. Located at 1780 E. Fourth Street, near Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII and Wind Creek casino, the store is about a mile-and-a-half north of the Rt. 412 interchange on I-78.
Open 24 hours a day, the new Sheetz features a drive-thru lane, prepared food/beverage counters, self-scan registers and a walk-in beer cave, as well as outdoor and indoor seating areas.
According to signs at the store, the Sheetz is currently hiring team members at a pay rate of $15/hour with an extra $1.50/hr. for the overnight (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) shift.
A gallon of regular unleaded gas was $3.29 as of Thursday afternoon, which is well below the area average of about $3.75/gal. A nearby Wawa store that opened in December was also selling gas for $3.29 as of Thursday.
In addition to its just-opened store, Sheetz has announced plans to build two more stores in the Saucon Valley area. If approved, one of the stores would be located at Kichline Avenue and Main Street in Hellertown borough, while the other would be on Rt. 378 in front of the Saucon Square shopping center in Lower Saucon Township.
Other Sheetz stores are located nearby in Allentown, Bethlehem and Palmer Township. For more information about these and other locations, visit Sheetz.com.
At mid-day there was not much congestion at the store’s gas pumps, while inside the Sheetz business was brisk.
The new store’s appearance is emblematic of the company’s meticulous branding, with red being the predominant color used throughout.
The convenience store is shaped like an ‘L,’ with food counters at one end and a walk-in beer cave at the other. In between are aisles filled with snacks, candy, beverages and other popular convenience store ‘essentials.’
