As Wawa continues expanding, the first locations have been confirmed for two of the states it plans on entering in the next few years.
Ohio’s first announced Wawa is slated for Liberty Township, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati, according to a report from the Journal-News. The two-plus-acre site is expected to hold a 5,900-square-foot Wawa c-store with 44 parking spaces and space for outdoor seating, according to a Feb. 7 Liberty Township Trustees meeting. The motion was approved unanimously.
While this is the first Ohio store to seek approval, Wawa representatives said it may not be the first to open, as the company plans to open “a cluster” of locations in 2025 to help with logistics at the new stores.
Meanwhile, the first approved Wawa in Indiana will be part of the Midland Point development in Noblesville, about 27 miles north of Indianapolis, according to a report from the Indiana Business Journal. The development was approved by the city’s common council.
In addition to the c-store retailer, the $72 million mixed-use development will have apartments, a car wash and other amenities.
Wawa plans to open about 30 stores in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee in 2025, according to the company’s representative at the Liberty Township meeting.
Recently, the c-store retailer announced the locations of its first six Alabama locations, in Mobile as well as in Baldwin County. Each new region is part of Wawa’s plans to expand from seven to 14 states and grow from a little under 1,000 stores to around 1,800 by 2030.
Wawa currently operates in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington D.C. If the retailer meets its growth plans, it could become the fourth-largest U.S. c-store retailer.