[EXCLUSIVE] Wawa Lands Another Location, Sporting Goods Store too?

Wawa, the popular chain of convenience stores and gas stations that we indicated earlier this month had at least six locations in the works for Georgia, now has at least seven!  Plans reviewed by  ToNeTo Atlanta indicate that the chain, with a cult-like following, intends to open as part of a new development in Pooler near Savannah.   

The new Wawa is planned for the intersection of Pine Barren Road & Pooler Parkway in an out parcel of the new "Providence at Pooler" development.  Marketing materials for the project indicate that the Wawa (labeled only as "gas station") will be 6,119 square feet and occupy a 2.27 acre parcel.  

The project is also expected to include as many as two quick-serve restaurants (QSR) and one freestanding "Big Box" retailer.  The retailer - which is marked "pending" - will be 64,390 square feet.  Market research and trusted real estate sources suggest that Katy, Texas-based Academy Sports+Outdoors is likely the unnamed "Big Box" retailer joining the development.    

Academy Sports+Outdoors announced in November that it opened seven new stores across five states in the month to complete its fiscal 2023 new store openings. "Academy opened 14 new stores in fiscal 2023 and plans to continue its expansion efforts goal of opening a total of 120 to 140 new stores by the end of 2027."

Georgia and its 20 stores is currently Academy's second largest market by store count but a long way from the retailer's home market of Texas with 111 stores.    

The development is about one mile from Interstate-16 (Exit 155), less than four miles from the Tanger Outlets Savannah, and about fourteen miles from the Savannah Historic District.  

The running list of Wawa stores planned for Georgia includes:

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 

Pine Barren Road & Pooler Parkway, Pooler - 6,119 square feet on 2.27 acres - #6309 

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 "9" suggests there are at least nine 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.  That said, any entrance into metro Atlanta will be incredibly challenging (and expensive) given the entrenchment of both RaceTrac and QuikTrip.  

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.  

Wawa has yet to respond to our request for comment.  

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.