Wawa to open 120 stores in South Florida
Wawa is planning to launch 120 stores or more in South Florida between 2017 and 2022, reported the CSP Daily News. The first ones will open in Palm Beach and Broward counties, with Miami-Dade County to follow in 2018.
Currently, there are 79 Wawa stores in the Sunshine State, the first of which opened in Orlando in 2012.
"Our plan was always to have a presence across most of the state," said Chris Gheysens, Wawa's president and chief executive in an interview with the Sun Sentinel.
The Wawa, Pennsylvania-based c-store chain currently owns and operates more than 700 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Florida.
Wawa was recently awarded by Convenience Store News as Retail Innovator of the Year for its application of technological innovations in its stores, reported the Sun Sentinel.
Touch screens, where customers can choose their orders and select ingredients, and their popular fresh food offerings are what customers can expect from the South Florida stores.
The expansion is also expected to create jobs with each store hiring about 40 part-time and full-time employees offering them with a health plan and a chance to participate in the company's stock ownership plan.
