Wawa plans 60 stores in $420M expansion into Indiana

Pennsylvania-based Wawa Inc. unveiled new details of its Indiana expansion on Thursday. The convenience store chain said plans to invest $420 million to add 60 stores throughout the Hoosier State over the next eight to 10 years, with the first round of stores primarily in central Indiana.

The effort is expected to create a total of 2,200 jobs, with ground being broken on the first store slated for 2024. The company provided addresses of 11 stores in the Indianapolis area, including two that were previously revealed by IBJ.

Wawa President Brian Schaller told Inside INdiana Business said the decision to expand into Indiana was all about market opportunity.

“What we liked about the Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky is 10 million people in that immediate area, and we didn’t see the market being served with what we think is a competitive offer,” Schaller said. “We think we can get customers on the site in four minutes, and serve those immediate needs at a quality value. And we think there’s a real opportunity there.”

Wawa first announced its Indiana plans in December 2022, but no locations were known at that time. Over the next year, reports of locations in Noblesville, Clarksville, and Westfield emerged.

Each store will represent an approximately $7 million investment with about 35 jobs, Wawa officials said. The chain identified the first 15 stores under contract:

• Clark County: Veterans Parkway & Veterans Parkway Court, Clarksville
• Dearborn County: Eads Parkway & Doughty Road, Lawrenceburg
• Delaware County: Commerce Road & CR 1000 W, Daleville
• Hamilton County: Spring Mill Road & State Road 32, Westfield
• Hamilton County: State Road 32 & Hazel Dell Parkway, Noblesville
• Hancock County: U.S. 40 & CR 600, Greenfield
• Hancock County: N. State Street & W. New Road, Greenfield
• Hendricks County: State Road 267 & Camby Road, Plainfield
• Hendricks County: State Road 267 & Garner Road, Brownsburg
• Johnson County: U.S. 31 & Worthsville Road, Greenwood
• Madison County: State Road 232 & State Road 9, Anderson
• Madison County: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. & 67th Street, Anderson
• Marion County: W 86th Street & Zionsville Road, Indianapolis
• Marion County: E 96th Street & Delegates Row, Indianapolis
• Wayne County: Williamsburg Pike & Industries Road, Richmond

Exact construction timelines for the first stores are not yet known as the company goes through the permitting and approvals process.

“The people of Indiana make it such that we want to be here,” said Wawa Vice President of Real Estate John Poplawski. “We couldn’t have asked for a more friendly reception, both from our future customers, our local officials and really everyone here in Indiana.”

Wawa plans to open 10 stores each year between 2025 and 2028, then five to eight stores annually after that.

But Schaller said the opportunity for further growth is significant.

“A big thing that we look at when we determined the stores on top of the initial wave is just the cannibalization on top and the density of the brand and the penetration,” he said. “Our job is to get customer share of wallet. If we are successful in doing that, there’s going to be at least double the opportunity of stores that we’re starting with.”

During Thursday’s announcement, Wawa also detailed donations to local community partners Gleaners Food Bank and Riley Children’s Health. Schaller said it was key for Wawa to establish those relationships well before the first store opens.

“These partners are people that we think are great to work with, to make a difference in the community with, and that’s what Wawa—we really thrive on the connection with our customers, both inside the store and at local partnership, charity events. We really take great pride in that. So it’s a big deal.”

Wawa currently operates more than 1,000 convenience retail stores in six states and Washington, D.C.