Popular Philadelphia convenience store Wawa is expanding into NC. Here’s what we know
The popular Northeast convenience store and gas station Wawa is expected to enter North Carolina. But hold your hoagies —not for at least another two years.
The chain based in the Philadelphia area, known for its brands such as custom hoagies, hot breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and soups, sides and snacks, has been expanding. Wawa lists 17 store openings by the end of the year in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia on the company website.
“We are actively looking into potential sites for new Wawa stores” in North Carolina, but can’t confirm locations or timeframe, the company told the Observer’s news partner WSOC-TV. Wawa hopes to open its first N.C. stores by the end of 2024.
A Wawa official could not immediately be reached for comment by the Observer Friday afternoon.
The closest Wawa to Charlotte is about 232 miles away in Midlothian, Va., near Richmond, according to a Google search.
The company has over 35,000 employees, according Wawa’s website. Employee starting hourly pay for full and part-time jobs is $15 per hour, plus benefits.
Wawa, a privately held company, started as an iron foundry in New Jersey in 1803, according to the company website. The chain now has over 900 locations in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C.
What does Wawa mean?
“Wawa” is a Native American word for the Canada Goose found in the Delaware Valley over 100 years ago, according to the company website.
The business’ original dairy farm was on land in a rural area of Pennsylvania called Wawa. So the goose is on Wawa’s corporate logo.
Other Philly favorites
Wawa would not be the only Philadelphia-area business to give transplants a taste of home.
Rita’s water ice has several franchises in the Charlotte area.
And in 2017, Lee’s Hoagie House opened a franchise in Lake Wylie, S.C. That way, people in line can argue if they want their cheesesteaks “wid” or “widout” Cheese Whiz.
Observer editor Adam Bell contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 4:41 PM.