Goldsboro’s first Wawa store is opening at 8 a.m. next Thursday.

The store, located at 2606 Medical Office Place, is the first of two stores set to open in Wayne County.

A second location, at 2583 NC-70 in Rosewood, is currently under construction.

The first store is constructed on a 1.62-acre property and Thursday’s grand opening will include free t-shirts for the first 100 customers; a free any-size hot coffee from Thursday through next Sunday; a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials; the announcement of grants from The Wawa Foundation; and a “Hoagies for Heroes” hoagie-building competition between first responders benefitting local charities.

Wawa’s mascot Wally Goose will also be in attendance.

By the end of 2024, Wawa will have stores open and serving Kill Devil Hills, Wilson, Rocky Mount, Elizabeth City, Greenville, and Goldsboro.

Over the next 8-10 years, Wawa plans to build and open 6-8 stores per year, reaching a total of 90 stores in North Carolina.

WaWa was founded in 1803 in New Jersey, and incorporated in 1865 as the Millville Manufacturing Company, a textile company with mills in several states and sales offices across the country.

In 1892, George Wood, founder of Wawa Dairy Farms, bought a house in Delaware County, PA near a train station named Wawa.

A large mill pond on the Chester Creek below the station was a favorite gathering place for Canada Geese and the surrounding area took its name from a Native American word meaning “wild goose.”

When Wood began the dairy in 1902, he named the business after the local region.

On Apr. 16, 1964, the first Wawa Food Market opened in Folsom, PA.

Wawa, Inc is headquartered in Wawa, PA, and currently operates a chain of over 1,050 convenience stores in an eight-state area, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, and Washington DC.

Wawa stores offer coffee, beverages, sandwiches, burritos, pizza, burgers, wraps, soups, bowls, and catering options.

The company also offers various fuel options and EV charging stations.