ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — Store leaders and customers celebrated the grand opening event for the fifth Wawa location in the Tar Heel state in Elizabeth City.
The new location on Halstead Boulevard is expected to bring an economic boost for the town.
This new Wawa marks a significant milestone as the fifth location to open in North Carolina. Now, friends and family can enjoy their favorite convenience store right in their neighborhood.
Now that doors at the new Wawa are open, store lovers near and far showed up full of excitement.
Soraya Spellman and her new friend were the first customers at the store, snagging a dollar from the sale. Spellman says the new location is only one mile from her house.
“I am originally from New Jersey. So, I go up there to Wawa,” said Spellman. “The fact that it's down here in Elizabeth City is fantastic.”
Kim Dowgielewicz, the store operations manager, says the new Wawa provides not only food and supplies but also an economic boost.
“It’s the long-term,” said Dowgielewicz. “It’s the jobs we create for all of our associates, the opportunities for them to become shareholders in our company.”
Elizabeth City Mayor Kirk Rivers expressed his excitement about the town’s partnership with Wawa, highlighting the franchise’s rich history of humanitarian efforts and community support.
“We’re excited because of the fact we have a partner right here in the city from their involvement in community, making donations, helping nonprofits,” said Mayor Rivers.
Before the end of the year, Wawa plans to build four more locations across North Carolina.