What's next for Wawa in North Carolina
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Here we go, hoagie lovers. Wawa is adding up to 10 more stores in North Carolina this year, from the eastern part of the state to the Triangle.
Why it matters: The Pennsylvania-based convenience store has an avid fan base that rivals that of an SEC football team. And it's been expanding into North Carolina since opening its first store in the state last spring in the Outer Banks.
Driving the news: By the end of 2025, Wawa will add new stores in Hope Mills, Garner, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Greenville, Wilson and Goldsboro, according to a recent statement from the company.
- A future store in Selma in Johnston County — about 30 minutes from Raleigh — will be built at 25 JR Road, at the intersection of U.S. Highway 70 and Interstate 95, and open by the end of this year, the News & Observer reported.
- The brand did not provide specific addresses for its other future locations.
Yes, but: A Wawa spokesperson would not say whether or when the company will debut in major cities like Raleigh, Durham or Charlotte.
Zoom out: Buc-ee's, a rival convenience store chain with a similarly feverish following, will open its first North Carolina location in late 2026 or early 2027 in Mebane, WXII reported.
What's next: Over the next eight to 10 years, Wawa plans to build and open six to eight stores per year in North Carolina, reaching a total of 90 stores in the state, per the company.
The big picture: Wawa's North Carolina plans are part of a larger expansion. Over the next nine years or so, the brand plans to open as many as 280 new locations in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, Bloomberg previously reported.