gsheldon/iStock via Getty Images For people in a swath of the country, Sheetz is an unwritten item on the itinerary of any journey of more than 40 miles. The red-roofed gas station/fast food joint/convenience store/bottomless beverage well fulfills so many needs that it is an irresistible—nay, inevitable—stop on many people's road trips. Areas of Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina are in the Sheetz belt, but the heart of its empire is Western and Central Pennsylvania, where a Sheetz is stationed at almost every highway exit and the Sheetz parking lot serves as an after-hours town square. Here are 11 facts you might not know about this 600-store-strong chain of super-pit stops. Unless otherwise noted, all information about the company's history comes from