Wawa plans for Southeast expansion in Alabama and Florida
- Wawa shared locations for its first stores in the Alabama/Florida panhandle region.
- It plans to open 40 stores between Tallahassee, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, during the next decade.
- The c-store said it would invest about $6.5 million in each new store in the region.
Wawa has shared more details of its ongoing expansion in the Southeast, offering the locations of its forthcoming stores in Alabama and in Florida.
The c-store chain, which is headquartered in Pennsylvania and located in states across the East Coast, in February shared the locations for the first Wawa stores in Alabama, slated to open in 2024, according to a report from AL.com. Wawa’s first stores in the state will be located in west Mobile, Alabama. Another four stores will open next year in Baldwin County, according to the report. The retailer also shared plans about its first stores in the Florida panhandle region, two stores in Pensacola, the Pensacola News Journal reported.
The c-store said it would invest about $6.5 million in each new store in the region, which will ultimately employ about 35 people each, according to AL.com. In total, Wawa plans to open about 40 stores in the region between Tallahassee, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama, during the next 8-10 years, Steve Hasher, Wawa’s director of store operations, told the News Journal.
Wawa first announced its plans to expand to the region last spring, Retail Leader reported. The c-store chain first appeared in Florida more than a decade ago, and as of 2022, the retailer operates approximately 250 stores in the state, employing around 10,000 people.
"Over the years, we've been delighted to hear from so many people from so many areas, who are interested in having a Wawa closer to home. We couldn't be more excited to bring Wawa's one-of-a-kind brand and offering to these new markets in the near future," John Poplawski, vice president of real estate for Wawa, said last year. "We look forward to expanding beyond our current reach and serving these new markets with our quality fresh food and beverages and, as always, our deep commitment to the communities in which we operate."
The privately held Wawa operates more than 950 c-stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. In 2022, Wawa earned $14.9 billion in revenue, making it one of the top 25 largest private companies in the U.S., according to Forbes.