Following a report in April by the Philadelphia Business Journal that Wawa is plotting the “most aggressive growth” in its history, the company announced earlier this month that it is scouting locations for gas and convenience stores in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Wawa also has plans to expand into Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, and Georgia by 2024.
Currently the company has nearly 1,000 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C. It is planning for 70 new stores in 2023 after adding more than 40 this year.
As Wawa spreads geographically it has tweaked its formula. For instance, in Florida the company features outdoor seating and has added local specialties like empanadas, black beans, and Cubano sandwiches.
“We work to align our offerings with the food cultures and traditions of each new market,” according to spokesperson Lori Doyle.
Sheetz, a competing gas and convenience chain based in Western PA, has undoubtedly noted that Wawa is planning to bypass the Pittsburgh market as it expands west beyond Pennsylvania.