Wawa and its loyal band of fans are in for a treat as the c-store chain recently announced plans to expand into several new markets, according to Bloomberg. Wawa owners are apparently eyeing expansion into multiple states, as the chain continues to grow at a rapid pace.
Wawa’s Rich History
Wawa was founded in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Pa., in 1902.
The milk business proved successful for the company, but as home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products.
Today, Wawa operates about 1,000 locations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington D.C.
Recently, however, the Woods family announced some ambitious expansion plans, with Bloomberg reporting that the owners wish to open as many as 280 new stores over the next decade, mainly located throughout Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
CEO Chris Gheysens toted the plan as the “the most aggressive growth” in Wawa’s history.
Wawa’s Year of Expansion Announcements
The news of Wawa’s expansion should come as no surprise to the c-store world, as the chain has made known its plans to rapidly expand.
Kentucky
In September of last year, Wawa revealed plans to add 40 stores in Kentucky — a new market for the chain. The first groundbreakings are set to take place in mid-2024 and the stores are expected to begin opening mid-2025.
Plans for the expansion include opening 10 locations in 2025, five in 2026 and five each year thereafter. Wawa will invest approximately $7 million-per-store and employ, on average, 140 contractors and local partners to open the new Kentucky stores.
Ohio
Shortly after the announcement of its Kentucky expansion, the chain doubled down and revealed its plans to add 60 stores in Ohio.
For this expansion, Wawa plans to open approximately 60 stores in the state over the next eight to 10 years.
As of September, the chain had more than 16 sites under contract across Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton, Miami, Montgomery and Warren Counties. Wawa has not yet announced specific locations and estimated timing of the openings, but will do so once regulatory processes are completed.
However, the chain did reveal that, in a similar fashion to its Kentucky expansion, the first store locations are projected to open by mid-2025, with plans to open up to 10 locations that year, 10 additional stores in 2026 and five stores each year thereafter.
North Carolina
Finally, in October 2023, Wawa announced that it will expand to and heavily invest in its North Carolina market. With eight locations already slated to open in the state this year, the chain’s initial phase of expansion includes plans to open approximately 80 stores across the eastern region of the state over the next 10 years.
“We were thrilled to share our ‘flight plan’ for North Carolina and reveal, for the very first time, our exciting expansion plans, renderings and more with our newest soon-to-be neighbors … As we get closer to our grand openings in 2024, we will be sharing even more details on our growth in North Carolina all while connecting with more customers, communities, partners and nonprofit organizations,” said Kim Dowgielewicz, director of store operations for Wawa.
The company continues to eye new land and look for potential markets to invest in as it cements itself as a powerhouse in the convenience industry.
