Wawa's aggressive expansion continues as it eyes site for its first Louisville location
Wawa submitted plans for its first Louisville store.
After announcing its expansion into Kentucky last year, Wawa has chosen a location for its first Louisville store.
The Delaware County-based convenience store chain submitted a change-in-zoning request to the Louisville Metro Government for a new store at 7601 Vaughn Mill Road off Outer Loop. The construction plan calls for a 5,915-square-foot retail store with eight gas pumps.
The property is owned by Gilezan Properties LLC, run by developer Stephanie Gilezan. The application says it is sitting vacant. Kimley-Horn, an engineering consultant based in Indiana, is involved in the project. Louisville-based Land Design & Development Inc. is also providing its services. It’s unclear when this specific store is expected to open.
A spokesperson for Wawa said the company can't confirm locations or timelines yet, but that it is actively looking for potential sites for new Wawa stores, including in Louisville, that will open in 2025.
Wawa's move to establish its first location in Louisville is part of an aggressive growth strategy aimed at almost doubling its store count over the next 10 years, including pushing west of its current East Coast footprint. Wawa currently has almost 1,000 stores located across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The company expects to operate approximately 1,800 locations by 2030.
In December, Wawa announced plans to launch its first stores in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Those three states are among the first in Wawa’s plan for long-term expansion in adjacent and new markets. Last month, Wawa requested a change in zoning for a property in Clarksville, Indiana.
Wawa is also expanding in Tennessee, where its efforts are being led by a former pageant queen and "American Idol" finalist. The chain is currently eyeing suburban Nashville for one of its first locations in the state, with plans to eventually have as many as 40 locations in the Nashville area.