Wawa has opened up shop in Ohio.
The favored convenience store chain’s first location within the Buckeye State held its grand opening on Wednesday morning in Liberty Township, not removed from Cincinnati.
The grand opening event, which took place on Wawa’s 61st anniversary, involved announcements of grants to local “community partners,” a “Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building contest” and a ribbon-cutting, in accordance with Wawa.
The brand new Liberty Township store paves the best way for Wawa’s entry into the Midwest and adds one more state to the corporate’s footprint.
It’s the “first of nine Wawa stores slated to open in Ohio by 12 months’s end,” Wawa said.
“We’re thrilled to fly into Ohio and produce our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience, and repair to latest friends and neighbors within the Buckeye State,” Wawa President Brian Schaller said.
“This historic milestone kicks off the subsequent chapter of our growth within the Midwest, and we’re overjoyed at the nice and cozy welcome we proceed to receive from so many communities we’re now proud to count as a part of the Wawa flock.”
Wawa estimated that some 2,000 long-term latest jobs will arise out of its overall planned expansion within the Buckeye State.
The convenience store is trying to open 45 to 55 stores in Ohio throughout the decade, with a pace of openings at 4 to 10 latest stores annually, Wawa said.
Each of the stores would require an investment of over $7.5 million on Wawa’s part, the corporate said.
Wawa, which has been expanding rapidly lately, currently operates over 1,100 locations across Pennsylvania, Latest Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Washington, D.C. – and, as of Wednesday, Ohio, its tenth state.
It notched its ninth state in November with a store in Bainbridge, Georgia.
Kentucky and Indiana are also getting their first Wawa locations this 12 months, with the previous slated to see nine open and the latter to receive 10, in accordance with recent press releases from the corporate.
The corporate plans to bring its convenience stores to Tennessee and West Virginia in the long run.
In October, Wawa placed No. 1 on the American Consumer Satisfaction Index’s rating of convenience store chains. It notched a rating of 82 out of 100.
That helped it come out on top of chains like QuikTrip, Buc-ee’s and Murphy USA, which ranked No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in accordance with the ACSI.
