Wawa to Break Ground on First North Carolina C-store
WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. will soon take its first steps to begin operations in North Carolina. The convenience store operator shared plans for its first store within the state, which will be located at 1900 N. Croatan Highway in the town of Kill Devil Hills.
No opening date has yet been announced, but company spokesperson Jennifer Wolf shared that executives will discuss construction updates and expansion plans across North Carolina at the 10 a.m. groundbreaking on May 12, reported The Virginian-Pilot.
Wawa's first North Carolina store will be located west of U.S. 158, the main artery through beach towns Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Kitty Hawk, and just south of Fifth Street.
Wawa previously announced that the company was actively searching for sites to make its entrance into North Carolina in March 2022, with the goal of opening its first stores there by the end of 2024.
"Over the years, we've been delighted to hear from so many people from so many areas, including North Carolina, who are interested in having a Wawa closer to home. I'm thrilled to confirm that we are continuing to spread our wings into new markets and neighborhoods, including North Carolina," a Wawa representative said at the time.
GROWTH ON THE HORIZON
The move into North Carolina is part of Wawa's journey to open the next 1,000 stores.
[Read More: Wawa to Expand Into Three New States]
On April 27, the retailer celebrated the grand opening of its 1,000th c-store at 1006 White Horse Pike in Oaklyn, N.J. Customers, Wawa associates, state and local officials, charity partners and special guests attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony and were invited to enjoy giveaways, free coffee, fanfare and more.
"Since well before we opened our first store more than 59 years ago, Wawa has always been closely connected to the communities we serve — constantly ensuring we're a good neighbor who provides much more than products and service. It's so appropriate that we are reaching our 1,000th-store milestone in New Jersey, where we have such a deep history with our origins as a family business and roots dating back more than 200 years," said Chris Gheysens, CEO of Wawa. "As we mark our sustained growth, we want to thank all our amazing customers and associates for getting us to where we are today. None of this would be possible without you. Here's to 1,000 and beyond."
Wawa mascot Wally Goose greeted the store's first customers along with Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders and the team's pep band, drumline and mascot Swoop, who held a pep rally in the store parking lot. The first 1,000 customers received free limited-edition, keepsake t-shirts, and free, any-size hot coffee was available all day.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony also included the unveiling of a custom 1,000th store sign affixed to the storefront to mark the milestone.
Additionally, Wawa presented $1 million in gift cards to its seven national partners: the American Red Cross, Check Out Hunger, Children's Miracle Network, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Special Olympics and the USO, plus local partners such as Meals on Wheels and Eagles Autism Foundation.
Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. Its goal is to double its footprint within the next decade.