How Much Does it Cost to Open a Wawa Franchise in 2022?
Wawa franchise cost, In areas where many people don’t own cars, convenience stores have proven to be indispensable.

Wawa Stores are renowned for being a one-stop shop for food, snacks, beverages, personal care products, and of course petrol.
With an estimated $13 billion in yearly revenue, the corporation is an important participant in the gas station and convenience store sectors.
The company has been in operation for over 50 years and has over 900 outlets in the United States.
What is the Price to Start a Wawa franchise?
I have negative news. Since the Wawa brand currently forbids franchising, it is not possible to franchise a Wawa location.
Because Wawa is a privately held firm, it is unclear when or even if they would ever accept franchisee applications. Bummer!
However, that doesn’t imply you should give up trying to run a profitable convenience business. Continue reading to learn more about the Wawa franchise cost.
What they do, the benefits and drawbacks, and how to apply if the opportunity arises. In case you’re seeking a convenience store chain to operate under a different name, I also provide alternatives to the Wawa franchise.
Financial Conditions Wawa Franchise Cost

Wawa prohibits the franchising of its stores. Since someone privately held the business, little is known about the capital required for starting one. There are no particular expenses to be aware of.
However, according to a 2015 study, the average price to build a Wawa store is close to $5.4 million. It might or might not be true.
But it doesn’t hurt to be financially prepared in case you want to franchise Wawa in the future, especially given how huge and with gas stations this convenience shop is.
Given the price to construct a food area, petrol pumps, signage, and build a structure, this ballpark number looks accurate.
As you might expect, buying the land and then building the structure on top of it is typically required to create a gas station or convenience store.
Average Annual Sales or Revenue
In 2020, we expect Wawa to produce roughly $13 billion. They are also ranked number 23 on Forbes’ ranking of the biggest private corporations in America.
They come in third place among Americans who earn billions of dollars among privately held gas stations and convenience businesses, according to Statista.
Pilot Flying J takes the top rank, and Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores come in second. If you’ve ever driven through the Midwest, you’re probably already familiar with these chains.
According to PhillyMag in 2018, Wawa needs to generate $19 billion in revenue to catch up to 7-Eleven, another well-known global chain that is controlled by Tokyo-based Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. Wawa franchise cost.
The Wawa Franchise
Overall Units | greater than 900 |
Organizational Name | Wawa Inc. |
Franchise Since | Allows no franchising |
Industry | Store of Convenience |
Subsector | Gas stations; fast food restaurants |
The beginning of Wawa may be dated around 1803 as an organization that dealt with iron foundries. George Wood.
The business’s proprietor, changed his interest in dairy farming in 1902, focusing on providing milk.
Because of the company’s ability to guarantee clients of quality and cleanliness in the absence of pasteurization, it became successful.
Doctors confirmed their milk is safe for youngsters to drink, preventing illness. Grahame Wood.
A grandson of Wood, founded a store to market their dairy goods as home deliveries became less popular. The original Wawa Food Market location was this one.
The word “Wawa” is derived from a Native American term for a Canada Goose. The Delaware Valley was home to geese more than a century ago.
The Woods’ dairy farm was likewise in Wawa, a rural region of Pennsylvania. Today, The Woods used the moniker and a flying goose as their emblem.
The number of Wawa locations in the United States has grown to over 900, with most of them in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Florida, and Virginia.
They offer a variety of fresh goods, including food, drinks, and necessities. Wawa is renowned for supplying amenities including operating as a gas station and providing surcharge-free ATMs.
Wawa carries both its own brand and other names’ goods. Included in this are the meals and snacks they offer.
Including their renowned hoagies, sandwiches, salads, and soups, most of which are made to order.
More about the Wawa Franchise
Wawa sells over 60 million hoagies annually due to how well-liked they are. They produce even their own bottled teas and fruit juices. They sell even their own brand of beer at Wawa.
They continue to proudly advertise their own brand of milk as being rBST free and still sell it by the gallon today.
Wawa is renowned for its 100% sustainably sourced coffee. Because the farms from which they produced these coffee beans are Rainforest Alliance (RFA) Certified, they support social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
The Wawa store is open around-the-clock. Stores had to close between two and three in the morning for cleaning when the epidemic struck.
At the time of writing, however, stores are already operating twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Some businesses are open on holidays.
The business is actively involved in giving back to the neighborhood. The Wawa Foundation Inc. is a nonprofit organization that aids in funding charitable endeavors.
The nonprofit also awards funds to hospitals and contributes to the funding of medical research. They donate food items to fight famine.
Wawa supports the military, first responders, veterans, and other heroes.
Although you cannot open a Wawa franchise, you can collaborate closely with these shops. Wawa sells empty buildings and surplus land that is close to its Wawa retail locations.
Check out the real estate that is now for sale here to do this. Without a doubt, a knowledgeable group of financiers who recognize the true worth of their retail locations controls this business.
Over Wawa employs 35,000 people at the moment. Chris Gheysens serves as the company’s chief executive. Their main office is at Baltimore Pike in Wawa, Pennsylvania.
You can get in touch with Wawa here.
How Much Profit Does Wawa Make?
Since Wawa is a privately held business, it is difficult to find out how much money they make. However, to remind you, Wawa’s sales in 2020 were $13 billion.
This year, the company plans to add more locations with drive-thru service, so sales and profits for the idea should keep rising.
Benefits of Owning a Wawa Franchise
Wawa franchise cost, each type of business has a unique mix of benefits and difficulties.
I’ve mentioned some of the competitive advantages of the business to serve as a guide for you as you decide which one is best for you.
Expansion
Wawa opens new locations quickly. Wawa intends to add more locations in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in 2021, as seen on their website’s Coming Soon page.
Drive-through locations and curbside pickup services are planned. If you ever franchise with them, you’ll be certain that you’re working with a business that is planning for the future.
Variety of Menus
Although Wawa is primarily renowned as a convenience shop, its food has been its claim to fame. Along with a line of beverages with the corporate logo, their hoagies are well known.
Considering this, visitors to Wawa know they may find scrumptious, filling, and reasonably priced food and beverages there.
They don’t appear to be content with sticking with their existing lineup. Recently, Wawa added spaghetti and hamburgers to its dinner menu.
Families can choose from a variety of quick dinner options on their drive home. You can have more faith that Wawa will change with the times knowing that they’ll be introducing new products and innovating.
Present Day
Wawa appears to be current with all current business trends, demonstrating that the people in charge of this business take the time to conduct research.
Customers of Wawa can take part in a rewards program. You can also use their online delivery service. Even a smartphone app is available to simply place orders.
Wawa continues to enjoy a devoted following because shopping there is convenient.
Own Branding
The best thing about Wawa is that they sell their own goods like milk, beer, ice cream, and juice in bottles.
It promotes who they are and will keep spreading the word about them. So that they can grow more quickly, let’s hope they release additional things.
Problems with a Wawa Franchise
Wawa isn’t perfect, which brings up the question of what difficulties there might be in franchising this company. Here are a few drawbacks you might encounter.
Important Rivals
Even while Wawa is already well known, they have larger rivals; admit. Still to be noted are Speedway, Casey’s General Stores, and 7-Eleven.
Either Wawa Inc. needs to create more stores quickly to compete with the likes of these well-known brands, or they need to make franchising possible so that more outlets can spring up.
Whatever the case, Wawa needs to grow quickly to keep up with the competition and branch out into new regions like the Western United States where the brand is less well-known.
Locations
Wawa may have over 900 stores, yet they are all dispersed over only a few states. They ought to think about setting up additional locations in regions they haven’t yet covered if they want to become more well-known.
A national marketing strategy to increase the company’s visibility would be necessary for a successful expansion.
Controversy
There have been rumors that Wawa is involved in a lawsuit involving over 1,200 employees. The claim in the complaint was that Wawa shared its stock with its employees up to retirement. But it didn’t go like that.
This casts a negative light on Wawa. If you managed a franchise for this business, you might receive questions about it and applicants might be afraid to come to your location.
Is the Wawa Franchise the Best Option for You?
If you’re considering franchising, Wawa seems like a successful company to run. I’m afraid I don’t know if this business will ever take on franchisees. While you wait for a change in corporate policy.
start saving because Wawa is a large store with important financial obligations.
If you wish to work for Wawa and take part in its Employee Stock Ownership Plan, you can do so (ESOP).
On the firm’s website, it is said that 40% of all shares are owned by employees. Even if you cannot get a franchise, this might be a fantastic method for you to share in the company’s future growth and success.
What is a Wawa Franchise Alternative?
Why not give 7-Eleven a try if you’re seeking a convenience store? There are 9,522 locations of this well-known convenience shop in the United States alone.
A 7-Eleven franchise requires a total investment of $37,200 to $1,635,200. Visit this page to read our financial guide to 7-Eleven franchise ownership to learn more about this massive chain.
Conclusion
I sincerely hope that you learned a lot from this manual, Wawa franchise cost. You’ll be prepared to run this business if Wawa opens up for franchising because you’ll know what to do and what to expect.
Simply have the financial means in order to be accepted into the Wawa Convenience Store family.