WAWA Opens First Store in Johnston County
July 24, 2025
Hundreds of people were on hand as Wawa opened its first store in Johnston County on July 24, 2025. The store is the company's third store in the state of North Carolina. The company has a long range goal to open 90 stores over the next 10 years.
The opening of the store in the Cleveland area featured tee shirts for the first 100 guests, a competition known as Hoagies for Heroes" between local first responders, free coffee for all in attendance, and a ribbon cutting.
“We are excited to continue our expansion into North Carolina with our first store in Johnston County” said Kim Dowgielewicz, Director of Store Operations. “We look forward to continuing to bring our unique brand of fresh food, beverages and convenience to new areas and to further our commitment to providing the community with not only a new level of convenience but a strong, committed community partner.”
The local store employs 45 people. Wawa associates own 39% of the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Washington, D.C. with over 1,100 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and pizza, an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #22 of America’s Largest Private Companies.
The opening of the store in the Cleveland area featured tee shirts for the first 100 guests, a competition known as Hoagies for Heroes" between local first responders, free coffee for all in attendance, and a ribbon cutting.
“We are excited to continue our expansion into North Carolina with our first store in Johnston County” said Kim Dowgielewicz, Director of Store Operations. “We look forward to continuing to bring our unique brand of fresh food, beverages and convenience to new areas and to further our commitment to providing the community with not only a new level of convenience but a strong, committed community partner.”
The local store employs 45 people. Wawa associates own 39% of the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 in Pennsylvania as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Washington, D.C. with over 1,100 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, hand-crafted specialty beverages, a dinner menu including burgers and pizza, an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #22 of America’s Largest Private Companies.
Contact:
Steven Haught, General Manager
steven.haught@wawa.com, (919) 600-7676
