They went gaga over Wawa.
An enthusiastic throng of Wawa aficionados lined up in the early hours of Sept. 17 for the grand opening of the popular convenience store’s third location in New Hanover County.
The new Wawa at 9010 Senca Drive, the 20th such store in North Carolina, is in the northern part of the county, near the Pender County border.
“I get emotional really quick,” said Kate Reeder, the Wawa general manager who put a pair of giant scissors to use during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “It’s really exciting to see this come to a fruition.”
Let the party begin
Wawa celebrated the occasion in Wawa style, creating a festive atmosphere that included giveaways, live music from the American Leadership Academy Coastal rock band, a hoagie-building contest, and Wally Goose,
the Wawa mascot.
“We like to party,” said Alyson Mucha, the company’s public relations supervisor. “… We don’t go anywhere quietly. We don’t go anywhere without confetti.”
Two other Wawas opened in Wilmington earlier this year at 6800 Carolina Beach Road on May 28 and at 2402 South 17th St. on Aug. 13. In addition, the Wilmington City Council approved a rezoning for a Wawa to be built at 524 South College Road.
Wawa by the numbers
Blake Loper, the Wawa area manager, said Wawa has close to 1,300 stores in at least 13 states, with 50,000 associates serving one million customers a day. He said the chain plans to open seven stores in Wilmington and five stores in the greater Wilmington market by 2030.
“When we open our doors to a new store, we open our hearts to our community and our partners, the generosity of our customers,” Loper said, announcing the awarding of a $2,500 grant by the Wawa Foundation to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina.
A team of 41 associates selected from over 250 applicants had been training for a month to prepare for the newest store’s opening, Loper said.
Wawa plans to build six to eight stores per year over the next eight to 10 years in North Carolina for a total of 90 stores statewide.
Wawa’s business roots can be traced back to an iron foundry in 1803.
Loper said, “For years we have heard from people asking to bring our stores across the country, and we are thrilled to finally be here, celebrating (a) milestone in our history,”
Bob Liepa is the city of Wilmington and public safety reporter for the StarNews. You can reach him at RLiepa@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington's third Wawa celebrates opening in style
