East Coast convenience chain Wawa plans a Hope Mills store
A convenience store chain that residents have long clamored for could be coming to Hope Mills.
And no, it’s not Buc-ee’s.
Pennsylvania-based Wawa, with its hoagie sandwiches and specialty coffee, has inspired a cult following along the East Coast, and Hope Mills residents may soon be able to see what all the hype is about.
Preliminary plans posted to the county development review site in late October show an 8,355-square-foot convenience store and gas station at 630 Chicken Foot Road, just south of Interstate 95 exit 41.
The town recently authorized the site, two adjacent vacant lots across Chicken Foot Road from Bojangles and across Corporation Drive from Circle K, for planned commercial district zoning, according to a report from the Sept. 18 meeting.
Wawa North Carolina, LLC, purchased the land in June and July, according to county deed records.
Is Wawa coming to Fayetteville?
Wawa has also submitted plans for 6,049-square-foot store and gas station at 3613 Raeford Road in Fayetteville, a vacant lot between Roxie Avenue and the All-American Express Way and the former site of Carolina Heart Physicians. City officials provided feedback on those plans earlier this year.
The nearest Wawa is about 170 miles from the Fayetteville area in Franklin, Virginia.
Previously: Beloved East Coast convenience store may come to Fayetteville
Wawa to build dozens of North Carolina stores
Wawa plans to open 80 stores in the Tar Heel state in the next decade, according to an October release.
Stores in Kill Devil Hills, Elizabeth City, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Goldsboro and Greenville will open next year, the release said.
Another 30 sites are currently in the works, with up to 15 stores slated to open in 2025 and another 10 opening in 2026, the release said.
A Wawa spokesperson did not return a request for comment. According to the company website, locations are only confirmed when construction begins.
Gaga for Wawa: 7 things to know as the convenience chain plans a Fayetteville location
What is Wawa?
Wawa began in 1964 and is named after Wawa, Pennsylvania, where the founding family owns a dairy that still serves stores today. Now, Wawa has about 950 stores, most of which offer gasoline, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.
Modern stores typically sport a spacious open layout, with high ceilings and abundant natural lighting. At the center of the store is usually a kitchen and deli counter. Often, stores have a dining area with pendant lighting, booths and tables.
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want food news in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Wawa plans locations in Hope Mills and Fayetteville, NC
