Wawa Opens First Ohio Store
Wawa is now officially a member of the Buckeye State as the convenience store chain has opened its first Ohio store in Liberty Township.
The store, located at 7198 Cincinnati Dayton Road, is one of nine locations the Media, Pa.-based retailer is planning to open in Ohio in 2025. To mark the milestone, Wawa was joined by hundreds of customers, local officials, first responders and community partners for a ribbon cutting ceremony, parade of Wawa history and a “Hoagies for Heroes” hoagie-building competition.
The April 16 grand opening took placed on the 61st anniversary of Wawa’s first store opening in Folsom, Pa. During the grand opening, The Wawa Foundation announced a $5,000 grant to the American Red Cross Central & Southern Ohio Region to support the local Sound the Alarm initiative. Another $5,000 grant was made to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to support Child Life Services.
In addition, the Wawa Foundation launched its “Lending a Helping Hoagie” campaign, with a portion of the first week of hoagie sales, up to $5,000, in the new Liberty Township Ohio store benefitting Freestore Foodbank.
“We’re thrilled to fly into Ohio and bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience, and service to new friends and neighbors in the Buckeye State,” said Brian Schaller, president of Wawa. “This historic milestone kicks off the next chapter of our growth in the Midwest, and we’re overjoyed at the warm welcome we continue to receive from so many communities we’re now proud to count as part of the Wawa flock.”
In addition to the nine store openings planned for Ohio this year, Wawa projects opening four to 10 stores per year, reaching 45-55 stores in Ohio over the next 10 years. 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, on average, 35 associates, with Wawa expecting to create 2,000 new, long-term jobs as a result of its Ohio expansion.
