Earlier this week, the announcement was made that Wawa, a popular convenience and gas station chain throughout the Eastern United States, would soon be in development for the latest in several planned its Georgia-based locations.
On Tuesday, the city council of Pooler, Georgia, a neighboring city of Savannah, approved plans to begin a site plan for the company’s Peach State debut.
Similar to its competitor Buc-ees, which broke ground earlier in the year for its third and largest Georgia location in Brunswick, Wawa has grown quite popular among its dedicated customers for its distinctive food options.
Outside of the convenience store essentials, such as hot dogs and pizza, the Philadelphia-headquartered company also offers a menu that includes freshly made salads, wraps, macaroni and cheese and hoagies.
As of December 2023, Wawa has over 1,000 locations spread throughout seven states, with the closest store to Georgia located in Jacksonville, Florida.
“Our continued expansion plans will allow us to reach more customers with our quality fresh food, beverages and community support friends and neighbors,” said John Poplawski, vice president of real estate for Wawa in a 2022 press release.
“Expanding to Georgia is a natural extension from the Florida Panhandle and we look forward to serving more communities along the East Coast.”
Wawa is one of a handful of quick food service companies that have expanded to Georgia in recent years. Outside of Buc-ees, restaurant chains Raising Cane’s and Whataburger have begun to populate the state with new locations slowly.
Alongside Pooler, Savannah’s WJCL reported that the company plans to build stores in Jesup, Brunswick and Hinesville as part of an expansion that will see over 250 new stores throughout the South and Midwest in the next decade.
The Jessup and Brunswick locations, in particular, are expected to break ground next month, with two separate events held on March 7 to celebrate the occasion. They will be the first two to go under consideration out of all of the locations.
Since Wawa’s potential appearance in the metro Atlanta area has yet to be announced, residents will be left to chew on what the future may have in store.
