Construction is in progress at the site of the future Wawa convenience store off Benvenue Road in the northwestern part of Rocky Mount.
Not only that, two more future Wawas are anticipated to be built in Rocky Mount — one off North Winstead Avenue in the western to northwestern part of the city, the other off North Wesleyan Boulevard in the immediate vicinity of N.C. Wesleyan University.
The Wawa chain, in a news release, said that the future store off Benvenue is projected to open for business in the third quarter of this financial year, with the exact date to be announced this summer. The third quarter of the financial year extends from July through September.
Wawa Area Manager Jay Radcliffe in the news release said that the company could not be more thrilled to break ground in Rocky Mount and get closer to opening the doors and serving customers.
“We are excited to have our expansion plans begin to take shape and look forward to connecting with customers and communities to share the one-of-a-kind Wawa experience later this year,” Radcliffe said.
Mayor Sandy Roberson said in a phone interview Thursday that the future Wawa going up off Benvenue was “just absolutely fantastic.”
Roberson also said that he believes the completed store is going to show well when people are driving through the community.
“I’m excited to have them,” he said of Wawa. “And I believe that everybody in Rocky Mount feels that way.”
Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Farris said in a phone interview Thursday that he and his team the week before last met with representatives of Wawa at the Chamber’s office.
“That’s going to be a great addition to our community,” Farris said. “They’ve got a great reputation. So, we’re excited and looking forward to it.”
Wawa, a chain whose roots are in Pennsylvania, is celebrated for its coffee and hoagies. In March 2022, the company made clear it was planning to expand into North Carolina, with hopes to open locations by the end of 2024.
The site of the future Wawa off Benvenue is at what was Grandsons Buffett and across the road from the Cobb Corners shopping center, which is anchored by the Rocky Mount Walmart Supercenter.
The City Council in February approved a Planning Board recommendation for a rezoning that allows for Capital Growth Buchalter, a real estate development firm based in the Birmingham, Ala., area., to transform a former PNC Operations Center off North Winstead into a location with a future Wawa, a future Texas Roadhouse restaurant and a yet-to-be confirmed future business.
The former PNC Operations Center is across North Winstead from UNC Health Nash and adjacent to or in proximity to hotels, eateries and restaurants, businesses and professional offices.
Also, the former PNC Operations Center is close to the North Winstead interchange with U.S. 64 and roughly a couple of miles from access to the Interstate 95 Maine-to-Miami corridor.
The Wawa proposed in the immediate vicinity of N.C. Wesleyan University would be at the southeast corner of the intersection of North Wesleyan and Bishop Road.
A Sheetz convenience store is already on the northeastern side of that intersection. A shopping center anchored by a Food Lion supermarket is on the northwestern side of that intersection.
Lori Bruce, who is Wawa’s senior manager for media relations, said in an email Thursday that the company is working through the local permitting process to get the OK to build the future stores off North Winstead and North Wesleyan.
“Once that’s complete, we can provide timelines,” Bruce said.
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