DALEVILLE — Wawa, the Pennsylvania-based gas station and restaurant with an enthusiastic fan following, is ready to serve its signature hoagies in Indiana. The first location opens Thursday, and many more are coming soon to the Hoosier State.
Wawa's first Indiana location is in Daleville next to Interstate 69 between Anderson and Muncie, just west of State Road 67. Like its other locations nationwide, it will serve freshly-made food and drinks to customers 24 hours a day.
"I drive for work, and I get off the highway here," said Myrisha Smith, who lives in Anderson. "I started to see the white parts and said, 'This looks familiar.' I saw the Wawa sign and said, 'Are you kidding?'"
The company invited special customers to a Wawa sneak preview on Wednesday. Smith was in the crowd because Wawa has become a family tradition with her sister and daughter.
"Every year since 2019, we've traveled to South Philly to have Wawa for the weekend," Smith said. "It's a 9-hour drive and it's worth it."
Wawa's Indiana expansion will arrive this year after at least three years of planning. Its location next to State Road 32 near Hazel Dell Elementary School in Noblesville will open May 22, and its location next to Interstate 65 in Clarskville will open on May 30.
"Expect us to open 8 to 12 stores every year per year for the next five years," said Wawa chief real estate officer John Poplawski. "That's 60 stores in Indiana over the next five years."
Wawa also expects to open stores in Indianapolis, Westfield, Plainfield and Cumberland by the end of 2025.
It will also open a store in Brownsburg this year, despite the construction site catching fire last month.
"It set us back about 30 days," Poplawski said. "We still plan to fully open the store a little later than we first hoped, but we're on our way."
WATCH: WAWA GRAND OPENING
-
IFD battles large church fire in Beech Grove
Indianapolis Fire Department crews fought a large fire at Independent Nazarene Church Friday night into Saturday morning, requiring 84 firefighters and five hours to extinguish.
Cold weather, ice doesn't stop Downtown Indy residents from exercising outdoors
The Downtown Canal is currently covered in footprints. Metro Police warns trespassing on the canal is illegal and could be subject to arrest.
Indiana program keeps 70% of top graduates in the Hoosier State
The Orr Fellowship is successfully retaining Indiana's brightest college graduates, with 65% to 70% of participants choosing to stay in the state long after the two-year program ends.
Residents gain hope after meeting on Eagle Creek wastewater proposal
Citizens Energy and Lebanon Utilities are expected to take questions from the public at a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
