Wawa Expands with Two New Stores in Alabama, Excitement Grows
Wawa expands in Alabama with two new store openings in Mobile and Baldwin County, attracting crowds and excitement. Learn about their growth plans and community involvement.
@ReadWhatRickWrote 
Wawa is expanding rapidly in Alabama with the opening of two new stores: the first in Mobile and the second in Baldwin County. The excitement was palpable on Thursday as people gathered early at the intersection of Cottage Hill Road and Sollie Road in west Mobile for the 8 a.m. opening of the first Wawa in the city. Music from the Excelsior Band and the appearance of Wally Goose, Wawa's mascot, added to the festive atmosphere, with many attendees dancing and enjoying the event.
“This is incredible, the turnout and enthusiasm,” said Alabama Representative Margie Wilcox, whose district includes the new store. Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson echoed the sentiment, calling the event “amazing.”
Wawa, a popular East Coast convenience store chain known for its fan base, is aggressively expanding along the central Gulf Coast. The first Alabama store opened in Fairhope in April.
After the Mobile store opened at 7095 Cottage Hill Road, a second ribbon-cutting was held later at 21022 Ala. 59 in Robertsdale. Joe Collins, Director of Store Operations, shared plans for future openings. Before the end of the year, a second Mobile location will open at 664 Schillinger Road. In early 2025, Fairhope will get its second store at the intersection of Ala. 181 and Ala. 104. Collins also mentioned two more stores planned for mid-2025: one at 7780 Lamplighter Drive in Semmes and another at U.S. 98 and Johnson Road in Daphne.
“We’re excited about our growth in Alabama and this is just the beginning,” said Collins. “We plan to open at least 40 stores in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama areas.”
The opening day celebrations also included a $10,000 grant from the Wawa Foundation to Feeding the Gulf Coast. A fun “Hoagies for Heroes” competition between the Mobile Fire Rescue Department and the Mobile Police Department ended with both teams receiving $1,000 for local charities. For the first 10 days, the new stores offer free self-serve coffee.
Wawa, which started as a dairy market in Wawa, Pennsylvania, in 1964, now operates over 1,000 locations primarily on the East Coast. The company announced plans in 2022 for rapid growth into the Florida Panhandle and lower Alabama regions.
