Wawa opens next week in Clarksville, bringing cheap eats, hoagies, smoothies and more

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Wawa is putting the final touches on its first location in the Kentuckiana region to start welcoming customers later this month.

The convenience store and gas station chain said it plans to start welcoming guests at its Clarksville location on Veterans Parkway Friday, May 30. Doors open at 8 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for 9 a.m. The store will be giving away limited-edition t-shirts to the first 250 customers. Also, from May 30 through June 1, coffee will be free.

During the May 30 ribbon-cutting, Wawa is hosting "Hoagies for Heroes" -- a hoagie-building competition between local first responders, with $1,000 donated to charity.

Construction on the location began in early 2024 at the site of the former Red Robin restaurant.

The southern Indiana store is one of three Wawa stores opening in the state this month, bringing about 35-40 new jobs to Clarksville. The other two stores are located north of Indianapolis, and the first Indiana location opened on May 15 in Daleville.

The company also plans to open a location in Sellersburg, Indiana, at the intersection of State Road 60 and Appleleaf Lane.

"We are excited to enter the state of Indiana with our first three stores opening all in the month of May," Wawa President Brian Schaller said in a news release. "We look forward to bringing our unique brand of fresh food, beverages and convenience to the state and to furthering our commitment to providing the community with not only a new level of convenience but a strong, committed community partner."

Wawa plans to open up to 60 stores in Indiana, with 10 locations this year and 8 to 12 locations per year in the state.

Wawa is a popular east coast gas station chain known for its cheap eats, hoagies, smoothies, coffee and friendly staff.

The family-owned company is also building at least five locations in the Louisville area. Crews broke ground on the first Kentucky location last June on Preston Crossing Boulevard, just south of the Gene Snyder Freeway near Okolona.

Additional locations planned for the Louisville area include:

5229 Dixie Highway, near Kurz Way in Pleasure Ridge Park
7203 Apple Mill Drive, near the intersection with Outer Loop and Vaughn Mill
4213 Bardstown Road, near Fegenbush Lane
12415 Taylorsville Road, near the intersection with Sweeney Lane

In September 2023, the chain announced several future locations in the Kentuckiana region. It said last year it plans to open about 40 stores across the Kentucky region over the next 8-10 years.

To learn more about Wawa and take a look at what it provides, click here. The chain is also hiring for the new locations. Job opportunities and applications can be found by clicking here.

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