Wawa Searching for Sites to Make Its Entry Into North Carolina

WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. is adding another East Coast state to its footprint. This time, it's North Carolina.

According to WSOCTV, a representative for the convenience store chain confirmed Wawa is hoping to open its first stores in the state 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," the representative said in a statement.

At this time, there are no details on specific locations; however, the representative told the news outlet the company is "actively looking into potential sites for new Wawa stores in the state."

Previous Expansion

Wawa is well-known in the Mid-Atlantic, especially in its home state of Pennsylvania where it is often part of consumers' debate: Wawa vs. Sheetz, a competitor based across the state in Altoona.

It ventured outside the Mid-Atlantic region for the first time in 2012, opening convenience stores in Florida. Its first Orlando store, located across the street from Sea World on Central Florida Parkway, welcomed customers in July 2012. At the time, former CEO Howard Stoeckel said the journey to Florida was 10 years in the making.

Over the past decade, Wawa has been making its mark across Florida's convenience retailing landscape with locations from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean.

In January of this year, the retailer launched its first hiring campaign of 2022 with a focus on Florida. The goal was to hire 2,000 new associates at its more than 230 stores in the state.

"We are excited to continue growing our Florida presence as we approach our 10th anniversary of serving our friends and neighbors in the Sunshine State later this year. As we expand our stores, services and product offer, we are thrilled to provide new jobs and advancement opportunities for our associates," Stephanie Capaccio, director of people team operations, said at the time. "Anyone who visits Wawa knows that it's our incredible associates who drive our business and make Wawa so special. Beyond adding more than 20 new stores in Florida this year, we expect to reach a total of 10,000 associates as part of our Wawa family in Florida. It's a great time to join Wawa and experience our unique culture."

Wawa entered another new market in December 2017 when it cut the ribbon on its first c-store in Washington, D.C.  At 9,200 square feet, the c-store was more than double the size of a typical Wawa, which measures anywhere between 3,500 and 4,000 square feet. The retailer has since gone even bigger in other markets.

Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates c-stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.