A West Virginia Wawa is on its way to becoming a reality, as the Delaware County convenience store chain opens its first store there, writes Jim Walsh for the Courier-Post.

This will be Wawa’s 14th state where its setting down roots.  A groundbreaking for the new store in Inwood, West Virginia, is planned for Aug. 14.

The location is about 175 miles from Delaware County.

Construction celebrations have also been held this year for stores going up in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

Wawa has also opened its first locations in Alabama and North Carolina.

Each store costs about $7 million each to build.

For the West Virginia groundbreaking, “hundreds of excited VIP customers” will enjoy a “Taste of Wawa” hosted by the company’s mascot, Wally Goose.

Food samples include hoagies, soft pretzels, and smoothies.

Wawa now has more than 1,060 stores, with many of them also offering gas and EV charging.

Its 1,000th store opened in Oaklyn, New Jersey in April 2023.

Wawa opened its first convenience store in Folsom in 1964.

The family-owned firm generates an estimated annual revenue of more than $18 billion.

Read more about the West Virginia expansion and about other Wawa projects in development in the Courier-Post.