Wawa, a privately held, family-owned chain of more than 1,100 convenience retail stores currently operating in 12 states and Washington, D.C., is getting closer to bringing its unique food and beverage store experience and community commitment to Middle Tennessee.
In the summer, two events were held to celebrate the official start of construction on a store in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Clarksville, Tenn. Both stores are projected to open in the second half of 2026.
The events officially introduced Wawa to the community, announced expansion plans and welcomed VIP customers, local officials and charity partners. Attendees enjoyed a “Taste of Wawa,” with fresh food and beverage favorites including freshly brewed Wawa coffee, pretzels, teas and lemonades and 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.”
At the Community Day event in Nashville and the two groundbreaking events, VIP customers, local officials and community partners received a first look at Wawa’s initial plans for the market which will include six new Wawa stores open in 2026 and up to 50 over the next 10 years.
Wawa continues to work on finding and finalizing details for sites under contract. Once fully permitted and ready to go under construction, details will be shared along with timelines for construction and 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.