7-02-2024 12:46pm

Wawa Officially Breaks Ground On First Store In Ohio With Plans For Mason Store Soon

Beth Callahan Editor

Contributed photo

MASON, OH -- Wawa, a privately held, family and associate-owned chain of more than 1,050 convenience retail stores currently operating in eight states and Washington, D.C., officially broke ground on its first store in Ohio located at 5308 Fields Ertel Road, Cincinnati, Ohio. The event welcomed VIP customers, state and local officials and charity partners to mark the start of construction on Wawa’s first Ohio store.

The store is projected to open in the second quarter of 2025, along with several others including the Mason store, which will be located at 5248 Courseview Drive.

“We are excited to begin construction on our stores in Ohio as we get closer to bringing the unique Wawa experience to new customers in more markets,” said Joe Collins, Director of Store Operations for Wawa. “We look forward to continuing to spread our wings in Ohio and can’t wait to get started serving our new friends and neighbors.”

Along with the Fields Ertel Road and Mason stores, Wawa will begin construction on the following Ohio stores in 2024, with projected openings in the second quarter 2025:

7198 Cincinnati Dayton Road, Liberty Township, OH
4577 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, OH
370 Glensprings Drive, Cincinnati, OH

In 2025, Wawa plans to open eleven (11) stores in Ohio. Over the next 5-8 years, Wawa plans to build and open 6-10 stores per year in Ohio, with plans to open up to 60 stores in the state. Wawa currently has more than 20 sites under contract across Ohio counties. Those sites are going through the local land development and permitting processes and include locations in the counties of Allen, Butler, Clermont, Greene, Hamilton, Miami, Montgomery, and Warren.

As part of the groundbreaking, Wawa and The Wawa Foundation announced contributions to local community partners. Freestore Food Bank received a grant of $10,000 from The Wawa Foundation Fly Beyond Fund, a signature initiative to fight food insecurity and support programs providing good, nutritious food to build healthy habits and help kids thrive. The funds were part of a $1.5 million key issue grant awarded to food bank partners in Wawa’s operating area.

“The Wawa Foundation is thrilled to provide grants to our food bank partners toward programs providing consistent access to nutritious and healthy meals for kids,” said Elizabeth Simeone, President of The Wawa Foundation. “We are very excited to begin to share our Fly Beyond mission with our newest Food Bank partners in the Midwest as we begin our expansion to these new markets.”

In addition, Wawa plans to break ground on its first store in the Dayton, Ohio, market this summer with the date and location to be announced soon. To build each store, Wawa will invest more than $7.5 million and employ, on average, 140 contractors and local partners. Once open, each store will employ an average of 35 associates, with Wawa expecting to create 2,500 new, long-term new jobs as a result of expansion in Ohio.

Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products.

Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington, D.C. with more than 1,050 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #20 of America’s Largest Private Companies, #1 in Convenience Category for America’s Best Customer Service by Newsweek, one of Forbes 2023 America’s Best Employers for Women and New College Grads. Visit www.wawa.com/hello to stay up to date on local events.