Wawa, Pa. — Wawa, a privately held, family-owned chain of more than 1,100 convenience retail stores currently operating in 12 states and Washington, D.C., will soon be opening in Middle Tennessee. On Aug. 12, construction began on new stores in Murfreesboro and Clarksville. Both stores are projected to open in the second half of 2026.
“We are thrilled to continue growing in new markets to provide the community with our one-of-a-kind offer and commitment to supporting the community,” says Joe Collins, director of store operations for Wawa. “We are excited to announce our plans and officially start construction on our stores and look forward to our first grand openings to begin serving the community in 2026.”
At a Community Day event in Nashville and at the two groundbreaking events, Wawa unveiled a first look at its initial plans for the market, which will include six new stores open in 2026 and up to 50 over the next 10 years. Wawa continues to work on finding and finalizing details for sites under contract. Wawa expects to create more than 1,750 long term new jobs as a result of expansion in Tennessee.
Wawa, Inc. began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th century, owner George Wood began a small dairy processing plant in Wawa, Pa., in 1902. The milk business was a huge success but, as home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Washington, D.C., with nearly 1,100 locations to date.
SOURCE: Wawa, Inc.