Wawa, the popular chain of convenience stores and gas stations that announced plans last October to enter the Georgia market, seems to have at least six locations in the works. Planning documents reviewed by ToNeTo Atlanta indicate new Wawa locations are planned for several south Georgia communities. The new locations are in addition to the Waycross unit on which ToNeTo Atlanta reported this past February.
1810 S. Georgia Parkway W, Waycross - 5,537 square feet on 2.29 acres - #6300
774 Elma G Miles Parkway, Hinesville - 6,119 square feet on 2.54 acres - #6301
769 E. Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville - 6,119 square feet on 1.91 acres - #6302
4344 Community Road, Brunswick - 5,537 square feet on 2 acres - #6303
1401 Tallahassee Highway, Bainbridge - 6,119 square feet on 3.1 acres - #6304
274 First Street, Jesup - 6,119 square feet on 1.86 acres #6307
Each of the planned locations is slated to have 16 fueling stations. The fact that the store numbers seem Georgia-specific and already go up to "7" suggests there are at least seven stores in development.
By these metrics, these new Wawa locations would be comparable in size and fuel offerings to that of a typical RaceTrac or QuikTrip. What separates Wawa from its peers, however, is its selection of food, not just snacks and stuff, but actual food.
Wawa, a pioneer in convenience store food offerings, features a robust selection of made-to-order meals including breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections. The chain, based in Wawa, Pennsylvania in Greater Philadelphia, is perhaps most known for their hoagies, but also offers cheesesteaks, deli sandwiches, salads, bowls, and breakfast burritos, among other options.
In their release last October, Wawa indicated its first Georgia store would open in 2024 with the potential for up to 20 additional stores in the state in the years to come. The entrance into Georgia will, as our research suggests, be centered on south and coastal Georgia with no metro Atlanta units yet. The company in 2022 also announced plans to expand into the Florida Panhandle and south Alabama in 2024, Nashville in 2025, and Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky "sometime after 2025." More recently, however, the company suggested that Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky openings could begin as soon as mid-2025.
In February the company revealed the first eight of its Florida Panhandle/South Alabama stores including those planned for Pensacola, FL (2), Mobile, AL (2), Daphne, AL, Fairhope, AL (2), and Robertsdale, AL.
In October Wawa indicated it plans to open 80 stores across the eastern region of North Carolina over the next decade in what it called its "first phase" of growth. Wawa’s initial expansion into North Carolina includes plans to open its first eight stores in 2024. While exact grand opening dates have not yet been determined, the following eight locations will have Wawa stores opening in 2024: Kill Devil Hills, Elizabeth City, Wilson (2), Rocky Mount, Goldsboro (2), and Greenville. In addition to the stores set to open in 2024, Wawa has more than 30 sites under contract currently going through local approval processes. Wawa expects to open up to 15 stores in 2025 and 10 stores in 2026.
C-Store Dive, an industry trade publication, mapped out in October Wawa's seven state growth that it sees propelling it to 1,800 locations by 2030.
In Florida, a market Wawa entered in July 2012 with a location in Orlando near SeaWorld, the company opened more than a dozen locations this year including one in St. Petersburg that marked its 250th in the state! In April Wawa celebrated the opening of its 1,000th overall store in south Jersey.
ToNeTo Atlanta has reached out to Wawa for comment on their Georgia plans and timeline but while we were told we would hear back, even if what we were told was "no comment", we have heard nothing.
Have you ever been to a Wawa? What convenience store do you think offers the best food? Where else in Georgia would you like to see Wawa open?
Please share your thoughts below.
11 comments:
I haven't been to Wawa, but it's been nice to have 7-eleven Slurpees etc. at Speedway since they merged and of course the occasional trip to Buc-ee's so I say keep bringing on the variety.
Grew up in Philly and moved to Georgia about 20 years ago. Once you go to one, you'll never go back to a QT or Racetrac. Made to order food, great coffee selection and Tastykakes. To get a feel for Wawa, read up on the holy wars between Wawa and Sheetz.
They usually have electric chargers at most new ones
Seven Eleven purchased Speedway from Marathon Petroleum in 2020 for $21 B.
It's interesting that Wana is setting up shop at the Florida and Georgia State line.
Tastykakes are so nasty.
Wawa been in Florida they just add more locations
Can we bring them more north to the villa rica or Bremen area? I would love to go to Wawa again.
Don’t eat them. Eat a ding dong or a twinkie
Atlanta thinks it has it good with QT or RaceTrac, but there is nothing close to Wawa here. Both of them put in pathetic kitchen things trying to LOOK like a Wawa or Sheetz but neither of them compare at all. Cannot wait for Wawa to storm Atlanta and blow away the two stagnant incumbents. Sheetz is also already in NC and looking south. Not a Sheetz fan but they're still better than QT and way better than RaceTrac.
IKR? If one Wawa opened here, all the QT in the area would just close up within a week. And Racetrac too. Then Wawa could just move into all of them. They could convert them in a couple of weeks, like 7-11 did to Speedways. Probably would make Chevrons close too! Do it Wawa!
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