The Triangle’s first Wawa locations are on the way. Here are 3 we know about right now
A major gas station brand famous for its sandwiches is set to open its first Triangle location next year.
Wawa is coming to Johnston County in a big way.
The popular gas station brand will open its first Triangle location in the Johnston County town of Selma.
That Wawa is set to begin construction at 25 JR Road, at the intersection of Highway 70 and Interstate 95. The convenience store and gas station will be neighbors with the Old North State Food Hall opened two years ago in the former JR Cigars warehouse.
Beloved for its sandwiches (which it calls hoagies) and convenient bites, Wawa opened its first North Carolina locations last year in Wilson, Greenville and Goldsboro.
The Triangle Business Journal first reported the Selma Wawa.
The Pennsylvania-based gas station brand has a cult-like following that rivals the likes of Buc-ee’s, another convenience giant with a culinary streak. Both Wawa and Buc-ee’s are making their first long-awaited ventures into the Triangle.
The Selma Wawa site will be built on a longtime gas station spot, which was most recently a Mobil. The site has been cleared, and the new Wawa is set to be built from scratch. According to site plans, the Wawa will be around 5,900 square feet, with 16 gas pumps on the 2.5-acre property.
Wawa representatives did not respond to a request for comment on the new Selma location. Rob Hicks of Capital Growth Buchalter, the Alabama-based developer of the site, expects the Wawa in Selma to be open late 2025.
More Wawas on the way
While Selma is likely to be the first Triangle Wawa to open, more are already underway. So far Wawa is focusing on Johnston County, with two more set to be added at the busy Interstate 40 and N.C. 42 intersection.
Plans have been submitted to Johnston County for a Wawa location at the intersection of N.C. 42 and Old Drug Store Road. That Wawa will be also be around 5,900 square feet and on a 1.9 acre-piece of land. Greenville developer Brodyco bought the land in 2022. This Wawa will likely serve the east-bound travelers on I-40.
A second I-40-N.C. 42 Wawa will go at 4800 N.C. 42, at the intersection of Son-Lan Parkway. Capital Growth bought that 2.8-acre property last year for $5.6 million.
In demand: Grub on the go
Gas stations with crave-worthy food menus have been some of the biggest development projects in the last year. The highly anticipated and fought-over Buc-ee’s is set to land in Mebane in the near future. Fans of brisket and beaver nuggets will likely have to wait a bit longer. Recent reporting by Tammy Grubb in The News & Observer puts an opening at 2026 at the earliest and possibly 2027.
Wawa fans are likely to find more immediate satisfaction. With Selma set to open this year and already more in the works, Hicks expects additional locations closer to Raleigh in the near future.
“Wake County stores are imminent,” he said.
In explaining the hoopla over a gas station, Hicks said Wawa flips the typical model.
“It is a quality-based restaurant that happens to be a convenience store that sells petroleum,” he said.
This story was originally published January 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM with the headline "The Triangle’s first Wawa locations are on the way. Here are 3 we know about right now."
