design: Wyatt Downey
permission to print: Aryan Bommena
The bell rings, signaling the end of yet another school day. Friends are grouping up and leaving school, driving away with plans to hang out or study together. Students are getting milkshakes, fries, and other food to talk about their long day at school. The latest place to be with friends: Sheetz.
Columbus is ever growing and changing, and a prime example of this is the brand-new Sheetz right on Polaris Parkway.
Sheetz is a convenience store and gas station established in 1952, with chains in only six states in the United States, according to the Sheetz website. The six states containing the store include Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The Sheetz, located at 800 Polaris Pkwy., is the most recent addition to the development being seen in the area. It has gas pumps to fill up cars, but also a store to buy goods. Outside, there’s tables to sit and eat at.
“The environment at Sheetz is quite nice,” junior Anvita Indukuri said. “It’s always pretty clean and organized inside, and there’s usually people hanging out together, whether it be inside or outside at the tables.”
With the ability to order different foods and sweet treats, as well as a self-checkout to buy goods, Sheetz makes it easy for the customer to enjoy their items. Customers can also order food online and pick it up. Some of the most popular food items at Sheetz include their milkshakes, which have a wide variety of different flavors, multiple kinds of smoothies, and their “Burgerz”. A specific standout food on their menu is the battered Oreos.
“Sheetz is different from other convenience stores with their innovative style of shopping, such as the self-checkout, the scan and go, and the mobile orders,” Indukuri said. “Sheetz is far easier and more efficient than other convenience stores.”
On the Sheetz app, in addition to being able to order food from a phone, customers can also scan their items in store and purchase them. This feature makes the shopping experience for customers much quicker and more convenient. It’s a definite step up from just an average gas station.
“The atmosphere at Sheetz is different from other gas stations,” junior Arefa Kapasi said.
Since this new location in the area is also in such close proximity to the school—just over two miles away—it makes it a fun place for students to meet and hang out with their friends.
“Sheetz is a good place to hang out with friends because it is so close to where people live and the school,” Indukuri said. “It also has good food choices for being with friends after school or after football games.”
The addition of this Sheetz location also brings jobs to the area.
“At Sheetz, I’ve always had a pleasant experience,” Indukuri said. “The staff there is always nice and helpful.”
With the rise in popularity of Sheetz, it’s likely to be a common spot to see other students at, especially since it “gives more variety and options for people when it comes to gas and food,” according to Indukuri.
“I love Sheetz because of how close it is to my house, and it’s a nice, convenient place to hang out with my friends, or even as a meeting place,” Kapasi said.
