Wawa launches first Travel Center in North Carolina
Grand opening event highlights new store format, EV milestone, and commitment to the community.
Wawa has reached a historic milestone with the opening of its first-ever Travel Center in Hope Mills, North Carolina. Located in Cumberland County, the over 740 m2 site is designed to serve professional drivers, family travelers, and local residents with expanded food, fuel, and convenience offerings.
The grand opening featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a parade celebrating Wawa’s fuel and EV achievements, including its 200th location with EV chargers, and a “Hoagies for Heroes” competition honoring first responders. The retailer also launched its “Lending a Helping Hoagie” campaign, pledging up to $2,500 from first-week hoagie sales to support the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina.
“This historic milestone kicks off the next chapter of our growth as we debut a new store format and prepare to bring it to additional locations in Ohio and Indiana in the coming months,” said Brian Schaller, President of Wawa.
The Hope Mills Travel Center includes 20 fuel spots for passenger vehicles, six high-speed diesel lanes for tractor-trailers, OTR payment options, free truck parking, a CAT weigh station, pet relief area, and both indoor and outdoor seating.
The site is Wawa’s 15th store in North Carolina and part of its long-term plan to open 90 locations in the state over the next decade. Each new store represents a $7.5 million investment, with construction employing an average of 140 local contractors and 35 permanent associates once operational.
Founded in 1803, Wawa has grown into one of the nation’s leading convenience and fuel retailers, with more than 1,100 stores across the eastern U.S. and Midwest.
