At community event, Wawa gives updates on Centre County stores — including a new one
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- Wawa will spend $75 million to open 10 stores in the central Pennsylvania area by 2031.
- Officials shared new plans for a Wawa store along East College Avenue in State College.
- The company hosted a community event to share its vision for expanding to Centre County.
Wawa’s long-awaited expansion to the central Pennsylvania area took a major step Tuesday when the convenience store giant introduced itself to Centre County and unveiled new plans for the State College area.
More than 100 people were in attendance at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, where Wawa officials offered a wide range of complimentary hoagies, coffee, snacks and giveaways, plus updates on the company’s plans to open convenience stores and gas stations in the Centre County area. The most notable details shared by Wawa officials came from a rough timeline laying the groundwork for the company’s expansion efforts.
Justin Tichy, Wawa’s chief operating officer and a 1993 Penn State graduate, said the company has long viewed central Pennsylvania as a prime target for expansion.
“[Centre County] is just such a great area,” Tichy told the Centre Daily Times. “We’ve been wanting to push our expansion a little farther west in the state, and it’s an area we know has a huge customer base and following already. We’re really excited to be here.”
Land development plans and other procedural steps taken over the past few years had already revealed Wawa’s plans to open stores in Centre Hall, along Benner Pike and on North Atherton Street in State College. However, Wawa officials unveiled plans for yet another State College area store — this time at the corner of East College Avenue and Squirrel Drive in College Township.
Real estate agent Kandy Weaver of Bennett Williams Commercial confirmed Wawa’s plans for College Township to the Centre Daily Times and said the location is considered a redevelopment site. Though she did not provide an exact site for the proposed store, Weaver said her team is “looking forward to releasing more tenants coming to this expanding corridor in the near future.”
Wawa may have a few more hurdles to cross before getting its proposed College Township location ready for development. Mike Bloom, the assistant township manager, said township officials have not yet received a formal land development plan for a store along East College Avenue.
“Township staff has had preliminary discussions with representatives from Wawa and the property owner regarding the prospects of a new convenience store at this location,” Bloom wrote in an email to the Centre Daily Times. “It is our understanding that Wawa’s team has been reviewing the township’s zoning regulations to determine a feasible site configuration option and is in the early stages of evaluating the potential traffic impacts associated with this possible development.”
When will Centre County Wawas open?
Wawa did not share concrete timelines for the four stores planned for the State College area, though officials said they expect to open 10 stores in the broader area by 2031. The company’s expansion plans will start with planned openings in Yeagertown and Mill Hall in the spring and fall of 2026, respectively.
Speaking before community members in a crowded ballroom, Wawa officials said they have heard countless requests to expand to the State College area. John Poplawski, the company’s chief real estate officer, said there’s no better time for expansion to Centre County after laying the groundwork over the past few years.
“We don’t believe in growth for growth’s sake,” Poplawski said. “That’s one of the reasons why it took us a bit to get here to State College. When we get here, we want to make sure we’re here to stay for the long haul... Expanding really gives us an opportunity to serve you, serve more Wawa fans and make new Wawa fans who are maybe going to get their first taste of Wawa.”
Poplawski said Wawa will invest roughly $75 million in the construction and operations of 10 stores opening soon in the Centre County area. Those stores would employ around 350 workers.
All four stores planned for Centre County area already under contract, Poplawski said. Mifflin County’s first store (Route 322 and Ferguson Valley Road in Yeagertown) and Clinton County’s first store (Route 150 and Water Street in Mill Hall) are under contract, too.
Plans to expand into Centre County took a serious leap in 2023 when Wawa unveiled a proposed location on the corner of Benner Pike and Eagle Point in Benner Township. Plans followed in 2024 for another store at the intersection of North Atherton Street and West Aaron Drive in Ferguson Township.
Back in July, the Centre County Planning Commission approved a final land development plan for a third proposed Wawa store, this time along Earlystown Road in Potter Township where a Snappy’s once stood.
To date, Wawa has not broken ground for any of its proposed Centre County stores.
“You’re all going to ask me, ‘So, when is my Wawa opening?’ That’s a tough question to answer,” Poplawski told the crowd. “All of my developer partners and real estate folks are working as hard as they possibly can to get them open as fast as they can. We’re partnering with all the local officials, but things don’t happen overnight.”
Community partnerships
To kickstart its investment in the community, Wawa officials unveiled a number of donations to central Pennsylvania charities and causes.
The company will donate $10,000 to the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank through its Fly Beyond grant program — an initiative to fight food insecurity and support underserved youth. Wawa also said it will donate $1,000 to Penn State’s Lion’s Pantry food bank.
Joe Arthur, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s vice president for development, said partnerships with Wawa and other organizations are critical for funding programs that help feed roughly 300,000 underserved children in 27 central Pennsylvaniai counties.
“Those children [in need], if it weren’t for programs like this and support like the Fly Beyond grants, they might not eat healthy foods every single day, particularly days when they’re not in school,” Arthur said. “I just want to personally thank the Wawa Foundation — all of the team members — for the work you do every day, but also for not forgetting about your community and for being there when we need you.”
An additional $5,000 donation will benefit the Still Strong Foundation, which works to support families whose children are battling cancer. The nonprofit was founded by former All-American Penn State football star Devon Still, whose daughter survived a battle with neuroblastoma.
Finally, a $1,000 donation will support Penn State’s Red Cross Club, which organizes blood drives and other events across the University Park campus in partnership with the central Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross.
Wawa officials said the company’s philanthropic efforts aim to help its convenience stores become community fixtures — especially as they enter new markets.
“We want to make sure we’re continuing to amplify all the good that lives here,” said Tichy, the company’s COO. “It’s exciting to be back in the area. We’re excited to be a part of these communities again — an area I’ve known very well for a good chunk of my life. Really proud to be back in the State College and central Pennsylvania area.”
Today, Wawa operates roughly 1,100 stores in 12 states. The Delaware County-headquartered company opened its first convenience store in 1964 and derives its name and logo from an indigenous word for Canadian geese.
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