On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, an atmosphere of joy and excitement filled the air as the very first Wawa store in North Carolina threw open its doors to the Outer Banks community.
A Fabled Beginning
Unrolling its roots from 1900 N. Croatan Highway, the coveted store is a part of Wawa’s ambitious 10-year expansion plan that aims to bring 90 new Wawa stores to North Carolina. Jack McCombs, a local resident, recollects fond memories of childhood trips passing by Wawa’s original Pennsylvania dairy farm, with his father chanting “Waaaa waaa” in a singsong voice. He expressed his astonishment at the transformation of the Wawa dairy into a food market following the Vietnam War.
Growth of the Wawa Brand
From a humble beginning at a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, the family and employee-owned Wawa chain has now burgeoned to control over 1,050 stores in seven states, including the nation’s capital, Washington. Prior to the North Carolina expansion, the nearest store to the Outer Banks was located in Chesapeake. According to Jay Ratcliffe, the company’s area manager for northeastern North Carolina, by the end of 2024, Wawa aims to establish 10 stores spanning Kill Devil Hills, Rocky Mount, Elizabeth City, Greenville, Wilson, Goldsboro, and Lumberton.
The Store’s Features
Kim Dowgielewicz, the director of store operations, mentioned that the Outer Banks was selected as the location for North Carolina’s first store due to its proximity to Virginia and the strong sense of local community. The 6,000-square-foot store features eight gas pumps, 52 parking spaces and two underground tanks. In a remarkable gesture, the store’s grand opening will offer free shirts to the first 250 customers. Other events lined up for the grand opening include a local-first-responders-versus-charities hoagie building contest, and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m.
Wawa’s Ambition for North Carolina Expansion
Over the next decade, Wawa plans to construct and open six to eight stores per year in North Carolina, ultimately tallying up to 90 stores statewide. This aggressive expansion plan will see the company investing over $7 million per each new store and creating more than 3,000 long-term jobs. In addition, for the construction of each store, Wawa is expected to employ a total of 140 contractors. Wawa’s initiative will certainly boost the state’s economy while providing quality products and services to the people of North Carolina.
Marking a Milestone
The grand launching of the Wawa store marks a significant milestone for the company, as well as for North Carolina. Wawa named itself after the town where its first dairy operation was launched – Wawa, Pennsylvania – in 1902. Playing up the connection to the new store situated close to the Wright Brothers National Memorial, the company has lined up a flight over the store as part of the grand opening ceremonies. This gesture tips a hat to the area’s storied aviation history while marking a new chapter in Wawa’s expansion story.
