A new Wawa is set to open its doors at 797 Buchanan Trail East in Greencastle on October 2 at 8 a.m., marking the convenience store chain's second location in Franklin County and its latest move into territory long dominated by rival Sheetz. The first 100 customers in line will receive limited-edition Wawa Grand Opening Tour in the USA T-shirts, and the store will offer free hot coffee in any size from opening day through October 4.
The Greencastle store follows Wawa's first Franklin County location, which opened January 23, 2025, at 1071 Wayne Ave in Chambersburg, according to FOX43. That timeline underscores just how quickly Wawa has built out its presence in a county where it had no physical stores before 2025. As WGAL reports, the Greencastle opening is part of Wawa's broader expansion across the Susquehanna Valley.
A Ribbon-Cutting, a Hoagie Contest, and Wally Goose
The grand opening ceremony kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on October 2, with remarks from company representatives and state and local officials, an introduction to the store's employees, and a ribbon-cutting, per WGAL's reporting. Local police officers and firefighters will compete in Wawa's Hoagies for Heroes contest, racing to see which team can build hoagies the fastest. The celebration will also include music, confetti, and an appearance from Wawa's mascot, Wally Goose.
Through The Wawa Foundation, the company typically presents $1,000 grant awards to local charities selected by participating emergency responder teams during these Hoagies for Heroes contests, as Hoodline has reported in coverage of other recent Wawa openings. That philanthropic wrinkle has become a routine feature of the chain's grand-opening playbook as it rolls out new stores nationwide.
Site Chosen for Its Spot Near Interstate 81
The Greencastle site sits along Route 16, which carries an average daily traffic volume of approximately 11,000 vehicles and is located just over a mile from Interstate 81, where daily traffic runs around 46,000 vehicles, according to data cited by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. As part of its municipal site approval with Antrim Township, Wawa agreed to re-time the traffic signals at the intersection of Route 16 and Grindstone Hill Road to manage anticipated traffic flow.
Wawa says it invests more than $7.5 million to build each store and works with an average of 140 contractors and local partners during construction. A typical Wawa location employs about 35 associates, and the company operates under an employee-owned corporate structure, distributing equity to retail staff through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan alongside founding family shareholders, according to Wawa Careers.
Direct Competition With Sheetz in Greencastle
Wawa's arrival puts it in direct competition with Sheetz in Greencastle, challenging the chain's presence in the area.
The push into Central Pennsylvania isn't new for Wawa. In April 2024, Wawa President Brian Schaller announced a regional expansion plan to open up to 40 stores across Central Pennsylvania by 2030, targeting counties along the Susquehanna River and Interstate 81 corridors, per The Keystone. Wawa operates nearly 1,200 stores and aims to reach 1,800 locations nationwide by 2030.
Part of a Sprawling National Rollout
The Greencastle store will be the 67th Wawa has opened as part of its 2026 expansion plan, according to Wawa, which says it plans to debut nearly 100 new locations this year. Wawa's 2026 grand-opening tour is visiting communities across 14 states in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Midwest, a scale of rollout Hoodline has tracked in other markets, including a recent third-store opening in North Carolina's New Hanover County.
The Chambersburg store made headlines in March 2026 when GasBuddy pricing data showed it offering gas at $2.69 per gallon, tied for the lowest retail fuel price in Pennsylvania at the time, per Action News Jax — a sign of the aggressive pricing new entrants often use to break into a market.
