Wawa has officially entered Indiana with the opening of three new sites across the state, located in Daleville, Noblesville and Clarksville. The retailer noted in a statement that these are the first of eight stores to open in Indiana by the end of 2025.
“We’re thrilled to fly into Indiana and bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience and service to new friends and neighbors,” said Brian Schaller, President of Wawa. “This historic milestone kicks off the next chapter of our growth in the Midwest, and we’re overjoyed at the warm welcome we continue to receive from so many communities we’re now proud to count as part of the Wawa flock.”
In honor of its expansion, Wawa, alongside its philanthropic arm The Wawa Foundation, presented the following grants:
- $5,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana in conjunction with Wawa’s Lending a Helping Hoagie program, where a portion of the Daleville store’s first week of hoagie sales are donated to fight food insecurity.
- $5,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana and $10,000 to Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana through The Wawa Foundation’s Fly Beyond Key Issue Grant that supports the community by fighting food insecurity while also providing access to more nutritious and healthy meal options for youth.
- $5,000 to Riley Children’s Hospital, a CMN Hospital Partner, to support the Child Life Program.
- $2,500 to Dare to Care Food Bank to support their mission to feed the hungry and conquer the cycle of need in the community.
- $2,500 to the USO to support military members and families serving our county through various programs throughout the year.
- $6,000 to charities selected by local first responders as part of Wawa’s signature Hoagies for Heroes hoagie building competition.
“We are also thrilled about extending our commitment to being a good neighbor to Indiana, and our partnerships with local organizations supporting health, hunger and everyday heroes,” Schaller continued.
Wawa’s next Indiana store is slated to open in Indianapolis this coming July. By the end of 2025, the retailer expects to operate eight stores in the state, with additional sites planned for Brownsburg, Cumberland, Plainfield and Westfield.
After that, Wawa plans to open 8-12 stores per year in the state, reaching 60 Indiana locations over the next six years.
To build each store, Wawa’s statement continued, the retailer invests an average of $7.5 million and employs, on average, 140 contractors and local partners. Once open, each store employs up to 35 people, with Wawa expecting to create 2,000 new, long-term jobs as a result of its expansion.
Strategic Expansion
Wawa is expanding rapidly, as shown by its April announcement that it had extended its partnership with McLane Co., one of the largest distributors in the U.S., to support growth in key regions, including the Midwest.
As part of the new agreement, McLane’s Bluegrass distribution center, located in Hebron, Ky., will serve new Wawa locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio as the chain continues to expand in those states.
McLane and Wawa have a successful history of working together for more than 20 years, with McLane now servicing over 1,100 Wawa stores out of distribution centers in Kentucky, Virginia, New Jersey and Florida. McLane’s Mid Atlantic distribution center, located in Fredericksburg, Va., began servicing Wawa’s existing east coast markets last fall to support the retailer’s rapid expansion into other regions in the future.
“It’s been 60 years since our first store opened, and our vision then was a new kind of convenience store, fulfilling lives by providing customers with fast, friendly service and fresh products that deliver value,” said Schaller at the time of the announcement. “As Wawa expands into new markets, our partnership with partners like McLane helps us scale our best-in-class foodservice program, support our growth and fulfill our commitment to delighting customers.”
Today, Wawa stores are located across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Washington, D.C.
