KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C., May 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wawa, Inc. today announced a significant milestone in the Company’s history – the grand opening of its first Wawa store in the state of North Carolina! Located in Dare County at 1900 Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills, this location is the first of nine Wawa stores slated to open in North Carolina before the end of summer and 10 by year’s end. During this historic event, Wawa was joined by local officials, heroes and community members for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, parade of Wawa history, local cheerleaders, and a “Hoagies for Heroes” charitable hoagie building competition recognizing local everyday heroes serving their communities.
To mark the milestone, The Wawa Foundation announced a $2,500 grant to the Coast Guard Foundation to support moral and wellness initiatives for Coast Guard members and their families in the Kill Devil Hills area, specifically at the Oregon Inlet unit. In addition, another grant was made to Special Olympics of North Carolina for $2,500 to support Dare County athletes to compete in the largest state-level event, the Summer Games on June 2-4. For a link to b-roll footage from the grand opening event, click here.
“We are excited to fly into North Carolina and bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience and service to this state for the very first time. This historic milestone kicks off our ongoing growth and expansion in North Carolina as we continue to build new stores and create new jobs,” said Brian Schaller, President of Wawa. “We are also thrilled about extending our commitment to being a good neighbor to Dare County, and our partnerships with the Coast Guard Foundation and Special Olympics North Carolina Dare County athletes are examples of how we will support local causes.”
Wawa Expansion in North Carolina
By the end of 2024, Wawa will have 10 stores open in North Carolina serving Kill Devil Hills, Rocky Mount, Elizabeth City, Greenville and two stores in Wilson and Goldsboro. In 2025, Wawa projects opening up to 11 stores in additional counties including Robeson, Pitt, Cumberland, Onslow, Johnston, Nash, Pender, Brunswick and New Hanover. Over the next 8-10 years, Wawa plans to build and open 6-8 stores per year reaching a total of 90 stores in North Carolina. To build each store, Wawa will invest more than $7 million per store and employ, on average, 140 contractors and local partners to build the store. Once open, each store will employ an average of 35 associates with Wawa expecting to create more than 3,000 long-term new jobs as a result of expansion in North Carolina.
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, 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. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. 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 your all day, every day 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 to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and pizza, an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #20 of America’s Largest Private Companies, #1 in Convenience Category for America’s Best Customer Service by Newsweek, one of Forbes 2023 America’s Best Employers for Women and New College Grads.
