Company hosted a Community Partnership event at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
Wawa, a privately held, family-owned chain of more than 1,100 convenience retail stores that began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey and is currently operating in 12 states and Washington, D.C., is getting closer to opening stores in Middle Tennessee.
Recently, the Company hosted a Community Partnership event at Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. At the event, the company shared background on its history, growth projections for the market and commitment to community.
The event coincided with two events marking WaWa’s official construction start to its store in Murfreesboro and Clarksville, both to open in the second half of 2026.
Wawa is expanding to Middle Tennessee.
“The events officially introduced Wawa to the community, announced expansion plans and welcomed VIP customers, local officials and charity partners,” according to a release by the company.
Attendees “heard firsthand from Wawa Leadership on its expansion westward!”
“It’s official! Wawa is proud to be expanding to the Middle Tennessee market. We are thrilled to continue growing in new markets to provide the community with our one-of-a-kind offer and commitment to supporting the community,” said Joe Collins, Director of Store Operations for Wawa. “We are excited to announce our plans and officially start construction on our stores and look forward to our first grand openings to begin serving the community in 2026.”
Customers and local officials and partners had a look at WaWa’s initial plans for the Tennessee Market, including:
- Six new Wawa stores will open in 2026
- Up to 50 over the next 10 years
The company is working on finding and finalizing details for sites under contract. Once those contracts are fully permitted and ready, the company will share construction Timelines and future openings.
“To build each store, Wawa will invest approximately $7.5 million and employ, on average, 140 contractors and local partners. Once open, each store will employ an average of 35 associates, with Wawa expecting to create more than 1,750 long-term new jobs as a result of expansion in Tennessee,” according to the release.
Photo provided.
Copyright 2025 The Upper Cumberland Business Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Other stories you may want to check out:
