HEBRON, Ky. — As members of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the Hebron Fire Protection District hurled lettuce, tomatoes and bread back and forth in the midst of a heated hoagie-making competition, Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore stood between them, assuming the role of Switzerland.
“I had to be neutral,” Moore told LINK nky.
The hoagie-making contest was the highlight of the grand opening of Northern Kentucky’s first Wawa, located at 2335 Water Tower Drive in Hebron. The ceremony also featured a ribbon-cutting, free coffee and Wawa’s iconic Canada Goose mascot, Wally Goose. While the grand opening was held on Feb. 24, the store officially opened to the public on Feb. 19.
Titled “Hoagies for Heroes,” the sandwich-building competition is one of the chain’s signature events at grand opening ceremonies. The contest winner received a $1,000 donation to the charity of their choice.
After some fierce competition (and several dropped sandwiches), the whole thing ended in a tie, and $1,000 will be donated to both groups’ charities.
“This contest gives us a way to recognize our local heroes, donate to local causes, and have fun all at the same time,” said General Manager Shay Moore.
In further comments, Moore said he was excited that Boone County was the site of the first Wawa in NKY, with more on the way. Wawa plans to open additional stores in the region, with reported locations in Florence and Alexandria.
“We’re excited that the first one in Northern Kentucky is right here in Boone County and here at Graves Road,” Moore said. “What this company is going to be doing – and being employee-owned is a key here, they’re privately owned – they’re going to be building 40 stores roughly across the across Kentucky, but many of those are going to be right here in Northern Kentucky.”
Wawa is a Chester Heights, Pennsylvania-based chain of gas stations and convenience stores. Wawa has over 1,100 stores nationwide, with the majority located on the East Coast.
Since 2020, the company has embarked on a rapid expansion campaign throughout Greater Cincinnati and, more broadly, across Kentucky. Currently, there are six Wawas open in Kentucky, with stores primarily concentrated around the Louisville and Lexington metropolitan areas.
According to a Wawa press release, the retailer plans to build and open four to eight stores in Kentucky each year over the next five to eight years, with the goal of opening more than 40 stores in the state.
Wawa’s convenience stores are known for their food service counter, where customers can order items such as hoagies, burgers, breakfast sandwiches, pizza, salads, and quesadillas, among other selections. Similar to other convenience store chains like Sheetz, Wawa customers can order their food through a self-service kiosk.
“We love competition,” Moore said. “We love the investment they’re making, and they’re going to employ a lot of our local residents, and they do a lot of charitable work — giving back to the community.”
