Wawa breaks ground on first Ohio location, part of 60-store expansion
Watch a previous NBC4 report on Wawa's Ohio expansion in the video player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Convenience store and gas station chain Wawa has broken ground on the company's first Ohio location, one of 60 stores the company plans to open in the Buckeye State.
Construction has begun on the chain's upcoming location at 5308 Fields Ertel Road in Cincinnati, marking the company's first Ohio store that is projected to open in the second quarter of 2025. Wawa is also beginning construction this year on the following other Ohio locations, all aiming to open in 2025:
- 5308 Fields Ertel Road in Cincinnati
- 7198 Cincinnati Dayton Road in Liberty Township
- 4577 Dixie Highway in Fairfield
- 5248 Courseview Drive in Mason
- 370 Glensprings Drive in Cincinnati
"We are excited to begin construction on our stores in Ohio as we get closer to bringing the unique Wawa experience to new customers in more markets," said Joe Collins, director of store operations for Wawa. "We look forward to continuing to spread our wings in Ohio and can’t wait to get started serving our new friends and neighbors."
In 2025, Wawa is planning to open 11 stores in Ohio. Over the next five to eight years, the company aims to build and open 6 to 10 stores per year, with plans to open 60 stores in the state.
The company said it currently has more than 20 sites under contract across Ohio counties. Those sites are undergoing local land development and permitting processes, and include locations in Allen, Butler, Clermont, Greene, Hamilton, Miami, Montgomery and Warren counties.
To build each store, Wawa said it will invest more than $7.5 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 2,500 new, long-term new jobs as a result of expansion in Ohio.
Wawa's construction in Ohio comes after the chain announced in late 2022 it was planning to launch its first stores in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. The chain has said they wanted to expand after receiving "thousands of requests over the years."
"These markets are the perfect places for Wawa to expand based on their strong business communities, their family-like atmosphere, and the confidence that our unique offer and amazing associates will be welcomed by these communities," said Chris Gheysens, Wawa's President and CEO, at the time of the announcement.
Competition chain Sheetz has already begun rapidly expanding in Ohio, including plans to bulldoze a Max and Erma's restaurant in Dublin to make way for a new location. The gas station also purchased the site of Woody’s Wing House in Worthington to build a new store.
Georgia-based convenience store and gas station chain RaceTrac is also readying its first Ohio location in Delaware.