Up until now, Buc-ee’s has operated gigantic interstate stops catering to heavy long-distance traffic and Wawa has stuck to small convenience stores mostly serving local communities. That’s about to change, as Wawa debuts a new super-sized format in the South.
To be clear, Wawa’s first move into the travel center game isn’t as monstrous as the typical Buc-ee’s. The Buc-ee’s location in Leeds, at 50,000-plus square feet and 120 gas pumps, is typical of the Texas chain’s stores in Alabama. According to Wawa, its first travel center will feature over 8,000 square feet of space and 20 fueling stations for passenger cars.
While that’s obviously smaller than a Buc-ee’s, it’s quite a bit bigger than the typical Wawa. Just as significantly, it features six “high-speed diesel fuel lanes, accepting over the road (OTR) payments” and is located on an Interstate exchange. It’s on I-95 in Hope Mills, N.C., just south of Fayetteville; the actual address is 630 Chicken Foot Road.
North Carolina-based WGHP-TV8 quoted Wawa Chief Real Estate Officer John Poplawski as saying the store is designed to serve a mix of local customers and travelers.
“Not only will our Wawa Travel Center meet the fueling needs of professional drivers, but our store will offer the freshest of food, beverages, conveniences and the friendliest flock of associates, while also remaining a community hub for local friends and neighbors to enjoy.” Poplawski said.
Wawa recently announced an opening date of Aug. 28 for the new travel center.
Wawa has made headlines in Alabama over the past year and a half by opening its first half-dozen stores in the state in Mobile and Baldwin counties. That’s part of an aggressive expansion across the Florida Panhandle and central Gulf Coast.
Wawa, which was founded in Pennsylvania and mostly grew along the East Coast until recently, also is expanding into the central portion of the South and portions of the Midwest. In July it opened its first Kentucky store, and more recently it broke ground on its first stores in middle Tennessee. 2025 also has seen the openings of multiple Wawas in Ohio and Indiana.
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