A Sheetz is in the works in New Hanover County’s growing U.S. 421 industrial corridor, as Wawa prepares to break ground on its first Wilmington-area location.

The two convenience store chains, both based in Pennsylvania, are part of a developing slate of new gas station and convenience store brands in the Cape Fear region. 

Sheetz opened its first Wilmington-area locations last summer. The chain currently has stores in Hampstead and on Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington, with other stores in the works.

Plans for the latest Sheetz at 3251 U.S. 421 N. are set to go before New Hanover County’s technical review committee next week. Site plans submitted to the county show that Sheetz is proposing a 6,800-square-foot convenience store with fuel sales, along with a restaurant with seating and a drive-thru. The chain is known for its made-to-order food and beverage menu.

In an emailed statement on Friday, Nick Ruffner, public affairs manager at Sheetz, confirmed the brand's interest in the location but said it's "too early in the process to provide further details."

"With that said, the response to our offerings in the Wilmington market has been remarkable," Ruffner wrote. "We currently operate three successful stores in the area, with a new location opening at Carolina Beach Road and Shade Tree Lane next month. We look forward to serving more customers and delivering our customer-focused, all-in-one destination to more area residents in the future."

The new convenience store is slated for a roughly 10-acre vacant site near the intersection of U.S. 421 and Interstate 140, zoned for industrial development. The land is currently owned by PMG Carolinas LLC, which purchased the site in 2023 for $3 million, according to property records. A traffic impact analysis is currently underway on the project, which plans show would include 54 standard vehicle and 20 truck parking spaces. 

The U.S. 421 corridor has seen an uptick in new large industrial developments, including the Wilmington Trade Center, a master-planned, 13-building industrial park, and an Amazon robotics fulfillment center that broke ground last fall. Once complete, the projects are expected to bring thousands of new employees to the corridor.

Wawa, another new-to-Wilmington chain, will hold a groundbreaking on Aug. 13 at its location at the corner of South 17th Street and Wellington Avenue in Wilmington. The site, which previously contained a strip mall, was rezoned by city leaders in the spring of 2023 after much debate and pushback from business owners.

The event will mark a groundbreaking for the proposed nearly 6,000-square-foot store, and officials are set to provide an update on expansion plans and new locations in the region, according to a recent news release announcing the event.

“Whenever we enter a new market, we want to get to know our new communities long before our doors open,” Wawa President Brian Schaller stated in the release. “During our groundbreaking event, we will provide an update on this phase of our North Carolina expansion and have the chance to meet many of our new friends and neighbors in Wilmington. We are excited to share the Wawa story, plans for growth in Wilmington, and our commitment to partnering with and supporting local nonprofit organizations that make a difference in their local communities.”

Earlier this year, Wawa submitted plans for an approximately 6,300-square-foot store at the corner of Oleander and Englewood drives. The project is slated for a vacant 1.6-acre tract just east of Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park.