Wawa, Pa. — Wawa, a privately held, family-owned chain of more than 1,000 convenience retail stores currently operating in six states and Washington, D.C., plans to expand into the state of Kentucky for the first time, with 40 new stores across various markets.
The approximately 40 stores across the region are projected to open over the next 8-10 years with the first groundbreakings beginning in mid-2024. So far, Wawa has more than 15 sites under contract across Boone, Bullitt, Fayette, Hardin, Jefferson, Jessamine, Oldham, Scott, Shelby and Warren counties, Ky. These projected stores are currently making their way through the permitting and approval process, and Wawa will announce specific locations and estimated timing for the first store openings in Kentucky once these processes are complete. The first store locations are projected to open by mid-2025, with plans to open up to 10 locations that year, 5 additional stores in 2026 and 5 stores each year thereafter. Wawa teams continue to look for sites throughout the market.
“We are excited to welcome Wawa to Louisville, and we look forward to working with them as they open multiple locations across our city,” says Craig Greenberg, mayor of Louisville, Ky.
“We were thrilled to share our ‘flight plan’ for Kentucky and reveal, for the very first time, our exciting expansion plans, renderings and more with our newest soon-to-be neighbors,” says Joe Collins, director of store operations for Wawa. “We can’t wait to begin putting shovels into the ground next year! As we get closer to our grand openings in 2025, we will be sharing even more details on our growth in Kentucky.”
In addition, Wawa is underway on a new store design.
Wawa, Inc., began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Pa., in 1902. 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 is an all day, everyday stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. with nearly 1,000 locations.
SOURCE: Wawa, Inc.