Sheetz: Sheetz plans to open a new store in Wilmington’s U.S. 421 industrial corridor, while Wawa is about to begin construction on its first store in the Wilmington area.
Both convenience store chains — Sheetz and Wawa — are based in Pennsylvania and join a growing list of gas stations and convenience store brands in the Cape Fear region.
Sheetz opened its first stores in the Wilmington area last summer. It currently has stores located on Hampstead, Shipyard Boulevard and Carolina Beach Road. More stores are planned.
The newest Sheetz store is proposed at 3251 U.S. 421 North and plans will be presented to New Hanover County’s technical review committee next week. According to the site plan, it will be a 6,800-square-foot convenience store with a fuel station, restaurant, drive-thru and seating area. Sheetz is known for its made-to-order food and drink menu.
Nick Ruffner, Sheetz’s public relations manager, said in an email that the company is interested in the location but it is early in the process so it is not possible to provide more details.
“Our products have been well received in the Wilmington market. We operate three successful stores in the area and are opening a new store next month at Carolina Beach Road and Shade Tree Lane. We are excited to serve more customers and bring our all-in-one destination experience to more residents,” he said.
The new store is proposed on a nearly 10-acre vacant lot near U.S. 421 and Interstate 140 and is zoned for industrial development. The land is owned by PMG Carolinas LLC, which purchased it for $3 million in 2023. A traffic impact analysis is underway, and plans call for 54 car and 20 truck parking spaces.
The U.S. 421 corridor has seen a recent boom in large industrial projects, such as the Wilmington Trade Center — a master-planned industrial park consisting of 13 buildings — and an Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center, which broke ground last year. These projects are expected to bring thousands of jobs to the area upon completion.
On the other hand, Wawa — which is making a new foray into Wilmington — will break ground on its first store on August 13 at the corner of South 17th Street and Wellington Avenue. The site was formerly a strip mall and was rezoned by city leaders in the spring of 2023, drawing strong objections from local business owners.
The groundbreaking ceremony will kick off construction of the roughly 6,000-square-foot store. As noted in a recent press release, the company will reveal expansion plans and new locations at the event.
Wawa President Brian Scheller said, “Whenever we enter a new market, we want our presence to be more than just a business, but a part of the community. During this unprecedented event, we will share the current status of our expansion in North Carolina and have the opportunity to meet our new friends and neighbors in Wilmington. We are excited about the Wawa story, plans for growth in Wilmington, and partnerships with local nonprofit organizations.”
Earlier this year, Wawa proposed to open another approximately 6,300 square foot store at the corner of Oleander and Englewood Drive. The store will be located on 1.6 acres of vacant land near Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park.
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