WAWA, Pa., March 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa, a privately held, family-owned chain of more than 1,040 convenience retail stores currently operating in six states and Washington, D.C., is getting closer to bringing its unique food and beverage offer, store experience and community commitment to Georgia! On March 7, the Company celebrated the official start of construction on its first two Georgia stores located at: US 341 & Community Road, Brunswick, GA 31520 and 356 West Orange Street Jesup, GA 31545. The events officially introduced Wawa to the community, shared expansion plans and welcomed VIP customers, local officials and charity partners. Finally, at the Community Partnership Day events, Wawa announced contributions to its first community partners – the Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia and the USO Georgia with first grant awards totaling more than $10,000 to support local initiatives. View broll of the event here; and access folder with event photos, videos and media assets here.
“It’s official – Wawa is coming to Georgia, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to share details of our exciting growth plans with our newest soon-to-be neighbors!” said Robert Yeatts, Sr. Director of Store Operations for Wawa. “Our two groundbreaking events gave us the opportunity to meet new faces and share with our new markets a little bit about our history and what makes Wawa such an ideal fit for communities here. We are thrilled to break ground on our first stores and get closer to our first grand openings in 2024.”
About Wawa’s Growth & Expansion in Southern and Coastal Georgia
At the groundbreaking events, VIP customers, local officials and community partners received a first look at Wawa’s initial plans for the market including opening the Brunswick and Jesup stores in late 2024 and hosting groundbreaking events on May 1 for new stores located in Hinesville and Pooler. Wawa continues to build a pipeline of sites in southern and Coastal Georgia and currently has sites under contract in: Brunswick, Jesup, Hinesville, Pooler, Waycross, Bainbridge, Tifton, Valdosta and Albany. Over the next 5-8 years, Wawa plans to build and open 26 stores in southern and Coastal Georgia, opening 3 to 4 stores per year. To build each store, Wawa will invest approximately $7.0 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 almost 1,000 long-term new jobs as a result of expansion in Georgia.
About Career Opportunities: Soar with Wawa!
Wawa’s expansion plans will create hundreds of new jobs and career opportunities for those interested in soaring with us as we continue to expand in Georgia markets. Joining the Wawa team makes you part of a longstanding tradition of success that spans decades, hundreds of stores, multiple states and counting! It’s a chance to become part of a family and associate-owned company committed to putting people first, doing the right thing and making every day a little bit brighter for our communities: one hoagie, smile or experience at a time. Wawa associates have a shared stake in our success and own 39% of the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). View career opportunities at Wawa.
About Wawa, Inc.
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 and Washington, D.C. with nearly 1,000 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.
CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/479d4832-4b07-4a9b-9539-69e258642ec1
