Wawa invades Sheetz's territory, opens first store in Ohio
Wawa has started its expansion into Sheetz's territory after opening its first location this week in Ohio.
Wawa opened a store in Liberty Township, Ohio, on Wednesday. The convenience store and gas station celebrated the milestone with a grand opening event.
"61 years. 10 states. and today, we open our first-ever ohio store!" Wawa posted to Instagram on Wednesday. "Thank you to our associates, local officials, customers, and partners for making this milestone so special. ohio, we can't wait to serve you!"
In 2023, Wawa announced its plans to expand into Ohio. Wawa said it plans to build 60 new stores in Ohio over the next decade. The company plans to open 10 stores in 2025, 10 in 2026 and five stores each year after that.
Wawa said it has more than 16 sites under contract in Clermont, Butler, Clinton, Greene, Hamilton, Miami, Montgomery and Warren counties in Ohio.
But Sheetz is also taking steps to expand its footprint in Ohio. It is building a $145 million distribution facility in Findlay.
Wawa has more than 1,000 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Ohio and Washington, D.C.
Sheetz has more than 740 stores in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and North Carolina.
Sheetz vs. Wawa debate in Pennsylvania
The Sheetz-Wawa rivalry divides Pennsylvania, with the western half swearing allegiance to Altoona-based Sheetz and the eastern half siding with Delaware County-based Wawa.
A national convenience store customer satisfaction survey from 2024 added fuel to the debate, as Wawa took first place in the American Customer Satisfaction Index's inaugural study.
