Wawa to Open First Tennessee C-Store

The $7.5 million site will bring the retailer to its 14th state.

Wawa has announced the latest move in its expansion efforts as it looks to grow to yet another new market — Tennessee.

The chain’s first site in the state will open on June 18 in Clarksville, Tenn. The move, according to a report from local outlet WSMV, is the first of many. Wawa currently has plans to open six additional Tennessee locations this summer, with the ultimate goal of adding 50 in the state over the next 10 years.

Each new store will cost, on average, $7.5 million to build and will employ roughly 140 contractors and local partners. The company’s move into Tennessee will account for a $375 million investment into its store network.

The store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and, in typical Wawa fashion, will offer a wide range of food and beverage offerings, including the chain’s signature hoagies and coffee.

“We are excited to bring our unique combination of fresh food and beverage, convenience and service to Tennessee for the very first time,” said Brian Schaller, president of Wawa. “This historic milestone marks expansion to our fourteenth state and our ongoing growth allows us to create new jobs, strengthen community partnerships and fulfill more lives.”

Wawa has been steadily growing its footprint over the past several years in new and existing markets across the U.S. As it grows in Tennessee, it is strategically building out its store network in the Midwest — a key market in Wawa’s expansion plans.

In late March, the company announced the opening of its 11th and 12th stores in Ohio — a state the retailer entered only a year prior.

Wawa initially announced that it would expand to Ohio in February 2025, kicking off its major Midwest expansion with a grand opening on April 16. Not only did that date mark the retailer’s entrance into its 10th state, but it coincided with the founding date of the first Wawa store that opened on April 16, 1964, in Delaware County, Pa.

Fondly known as “Wawa Day” by associates and customers, the retailer toasted its new friends and neighbors in Liberty Township, Ohio, as well as across its 1,100 locations, with festivities to celebrate its entrance to the Midwest.

“This historic milestone kicks off our ongoing growth and expansion in Ohio as we continue to build new stores and create new jobs,” said Brian Schaller at the time, president of Wawa. “We are also thrilled about extending our commitment to being a good neighbor with the announcement of several community partnerships made on opening day.”

Over the next eight years, Wawa plans to build and open 6-10 stores per year in Ohio, with expectations to open up to 60 stores in the state.

Building on its Midwest expansion, Wawa is also targeting Kentucky. In February, the retailer opened its first store in northern Kentucky, located in Hebron. A grand opening ceremony took place today to commemorate the occasion, according to reports from local outlets The Cincinnati Inquirer and the Northern Kentucky Tribune.

The Pennsylvania-based chain has opened five stores in the Bluegrass State so far, with more openings anticipated in the next few years.

Similarly, Wawa plans to open up to 40 new stores over the next 8-10 years.