Popular convenience store chain Wawa is opening in West Virginia.
A privately held Pennsylvania-based company began construction on the Inwood-area Wawa on Wednesday morning, marking the occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony.
The planned convenience store in Inwood will be Wawa’s first in the Mountain State and its latest foray into the New State, and is expected to start welcoming customers in the first quarter of next year, Wawa said.
“Wawa is excited to expand into West Virginia and continue to grow in new markets, offering the community our unique services and commitment to supporting communities,” John Poplawski, Wawa vice president of real estate, said in a statement.
To date, there are more than 1,060 Wawa stores across eight states and Washington, D.C., according to a press release earlier this month.
Poplavski told Wawa, “Look.[s] We look forward to having our first grand opening in early 2025 and serving this great community in West Virginia.
Wawa is targeting to open three to five new convenience stores in two West Virginia counties over the next few years as part of its “initial plans” for the state, and the company expects its expansion in the state will create about 250 new long-term jobs.
Other new states where Wawa has announced it will open convenience stores in the future include Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia and Tennessee.
For example, construction began on its first two stores in Kentucky in early June, and Wawa said it ultimately aims to open up to 40 stores in the state within five to eight years. In Indiana, Wawa said last month it wants to open 10 stores next year and up to 50 more in the long term.
This comes as Wawa has embarked on a major effort to expand its presence in recent years.
The company claims that its convenience stores serve more than 1 billion customers each year and produce more than 182 million cups of coffee annually.
Earlier this year, Wawa celebrated the milestone of 60 years in retail business.
