Wawa Is Finally Opening Its First Locations In a Handful of States
The cult of Wawa is a serious one, and if you've ever been privileged enough to experience what this convenience store/gas station/glorified 7-11 has to offer, you know it's worth the drive.
However, finding a Wawa location isn't as easy as driving around your local neighborhood. The reason it's so coveted by fans is that most stores are located in one geographic area—mainly the Mid-Atlantic coast, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., with a few randomly located in Florida (probably for the snowbirds who had to have their turkey sandwich and iced tea fix).
Not an East Coast dweller? Don't get too upset, because a big change is about to rock your Wawa world. The company announced that its newest Wawalands will expand into Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.
"At Wawa, growth means strengthening our existing markets as well as expanding to both adjacent and new markets so we can reach new friends and neighbors and welcome them as part of our extended family," Chris Gheysens, Wawa's President and CEO, stated in an official press release on Dec. 7.
"These markets are the perfect places for Wawa to expand based on their strong business communities, their family-like atmosphere, and the confidence that our unique offer and amazing associates will be welcomed by these communities," he continued.
According to the Wawa website, since the first location opened in Pennsylvania in 1964, the chain has expanded to nearly 1,000 stores in its designated regions.
Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky will join the ranks of states like Tennessee by 2025, which Wawa announced earlier this June, according to The Tennessean.
If that's too long to wait, the official press release also notes that Wawa stores could be seen in states like Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia as soon as 2024.
If you're about to waaaaaaah over lack of Wawas in your area, the company encourages folks to reach out with ideas, suggestions, and new market opportunities via their expansion news landing page.
It's not just the delicious grab 'n go deli sandwiches (or hoagies, as PA locals call them), soft pretzels, or frozen cappuccinos that make this gas station shop so great. It's the company's values that keep jawns (a Philadelphia term of endearment) coming back for more.
Tasting Table reported that the chain has solid roots in social good, "prioritizing good working conditions for its roughly 36,000 employees and fostering a sense of community—values reflected by a customer base that keeps coming back."
"We have received thousands of requests over the years to spread our wings further west!" John Poplawski, Vice President of Real Estate for Wawa, stated in the press release. "We can't wait to reconnect with those that know us from existing markets and meet new friends and neighbors come 2025 and beyond!"
In the words of Borat himself, "Wawa-wee-wah!" We're definitely excited to see where Wawa goes.
