Wawa Rings Up Customers at First Indiana Store
WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. kicked off expansion into Indiana by holding a grand opening celebration for its first convenience store in the state on May 15, marking the retailer's entrance into its 11th state of operation.
The new store, located in Daleville, is the first of three locations slated to open in Indiana this month. Additional Wawa stores will open in Noblesville on May 22 and in Clarksville on May 30.
"We are excited to enter the state of Indiana with our first three stores opening all in the month of May," said Brian Schaller, president of Wawa. "We look forward to bringing our unique brand of fresh food, beverages and convenience to the state and to furthering our commitment to providing the community with not only a new level of convenience but a strong, committed community partner."
[Read more: Wawa Expands Pact With McLane to Support Growth]
As part of the latest chapter of its expansion into the Midwest, Wawa plans to open up to 10 Indiana c-stores in 2025 and eight to 12 stores there annually, up to 60 stores in the state.
To build each store, Wawa will invest more than $7.5 million and employ, on average, 140 contractors and local partners, the company said. Once upon, each store will employ an average of 35 associates. Wawa expects to create 2,000 new, long-term jobs.
The c-store operator first announced plans for its Indiana expansion in fall 2023, noting it already had more than 16 sites under contract across Clark, Dearborn, Delaware, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion and Wayne Counties, as Convenience Store News previously reported.
Wawa's grand opening events in Indiana will feature ribbon-cutting ceremonies, announcements of community partnerships and invitations for community members to enjoy Wawa's fresh food and beverages. The company will also celebrate everyday heroes through Wawa's signature "Hoagies for Heroes" initiative.
Pennsylvania-based Wawa Inc. operates more than 1,100 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Washington, D.C.
Wawa is No. 8 on the 2025 Convenience Store News Top 100 ranking.