OUTER BANKS, N.C. — The first Wawa to open in North Carolina —part of a planned expansion throughout the state —opened Thursday in Kill Devil Hills.
The store is located at 1900 Croatan Highway near the Harris Teeter.
The first 250 customers got a special milestone Wawa T-shirt, according to a release about the opening. The event showcased color guard, a national anthem singer from the US Coast Guard and cheerleaders from Dare County Special Olympics as well as the first official “Wawa Parade through the Ages." Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens spoke about the significance of the store and the expected impact the new N.C. locations will bring to the state.
At the opening, there was a charitable hoagie building competition recognizing heroes in the community where the winning and runner-up teams received $1000 checks for the charities of their choice.
Wawa is also working to open stores in Wilson, Rocky Mount and Elizabeth City — which the convenience chain plans to open later this year. By year's end, Wawa expects to have 10 stores across North Carolina.
The Kill Devil Hills store is the first of 80 planned stores in the state over the next decade.
The Pennsylvania-based convenience store and gas chain said it will invest $7 million, employ around 140 contractors, and create 2,800 new jobs when all the stores are open.
