New businesses coming to Shippensburg

Shippensburg will soon be home to a variety of new businesses investing in the Cumberland Valley.

The Cumberland County Planning Department and other relevant authorities have received plans for the construction of several new retail establishments in the borough, township and surrounding area. 

Among these new additions to town are three restaurants, Arby’s, Chipotle and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which will neighbor each other and be located across Conestoga Drive from Wendy’s existing location.

The submitted plan for the site shows one entrance opposite the road that connects Conestoga Drive to Walmart and other businesses in the Shippen Towne Center shopping plaza. The three restaurants will share a connected parking lot and have their own drive-thru lanes. 

Walnut Bottom Road will serve as the location for several projects. Convenience store and gas station chains Wawa and Rutters have both submitted plans for locations along the road that connects Shippensburg to Interstate 81 at exit 29. 

Rutters, which already has a location at the intersection of Walnut Bottom and Conestoga Drive, submitted plans in February 2022 for a second location just off exit 29 at the intersection of Walnut Bottom and Cramer Roads. The new store will accommodate tractor-trailer parking and diesel pumps to provide service adjacent I-81. 

Meanwhile, Wawa, the Delaware County convenience store chain, is seeking to construct a store at the western end of Walnut Bottom Road. The location is nestled between the Shippensburg Emergency Services Building and Fisher’s Florist and sits across the street from H&H Chevrolet.

This new Wawa location comes as part of the company’s expansion into central Pennsylvania, which places it in fierce competition with rival chain Sheetz. Sheetz operates two stores in Shippensburg, one in town on King Street and one off I-81 at exit 24. 

Plans were submitted in August of 2020 for a Dairy Queen location next to the Dunkin’ location on Walnut Bottom Road, but development has stalled on that project due to COVID-19 and other factors. The developer has five years from the plan’s approval to move forward with the project. After that, the process must begin again.

Big Lots, the furniture and home decor store, is moving into the space at 300 S. Fayette Street, previously occupied by Food Lion.  

While these new businesses are in various stages of planning and construction, others have already opened their doors. Parx Casino held its grand opening March 3 at its location in the old Lowe’s building. Monterrey Tacos — a family-owned Mexican restaurant, opened June 13 in downtown Shippensburg.

Marshalls and Shoe Dept. Encore both opened new locations within the last year in the Shippensburg Shopping Center, filling out the former Kmart space alongside Tractor Supply Co. and Aldi.