Wawa’s largest expansion has begun. The Delaware County convenience store chain broke ground for its first stores in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana this month and plans to open up 160 stores in the three states in the next five to eight years, writes Emma Dooling for Philadelphia Business Journal.

It’s a $1.2 billion investment in that U.S. region, costing about $7.5 million per store, with each location employing about 35 people.

Wawa now has about 1,050 stores across eight states and Washington, D.C. Another 70 stores are opening this year, so Wawa will soon have more than 1,100 locations. It’s goal is 1,800 stores by 2030.

2024 starts an “amazing growth period” for the Delaware County chain, said John Poplawski, Wawa’s vice president of real estate, speaking to the Dayton Business Journal. 

It will be the largest five-year period of expansion in its history, he said.

Wawa’s push into the Midwest comes a few months after if broke ground on a new store in central Pennsylvania solidly in the territory of long-time competitor, Sheetz.

A $300 million expansion in the next few years is planned in central Pennsylvania.

The chain is also extending into the southeastern US, including Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia. Get more details in the Philadelphia Business Journal