Wawa breaks ground on first store
It won’t be long now until Wawa hoagies and coffee arrive in the Harrisburg region.
A groundbreaking held Wednesday in Lower Swatara Township signaled the Delaware County chain is making good on its promise to bring dozens of stores to central Pennsylvania.
The groundbreaking was held at a A 6,049-square-foot store under development at Linden Centre, north of Route 230 near Middletown. Incidentally, it is located a block from where competitor Sheetz operates a store.
More than 100 people joined the celebration, including Wawa super fans and officials. Attendees flocked to swag such as T-shirts, buttons and drinks.
Two years ago, the eastern rival in the Keystone State convenience store wars to Sheetz said it plans to double its store count over the next three to five years in central Pa. The expansion marks the first time the stores will open west of the Susquehanna River.
Wednesday’s groundbreaking followed an energetic celebration held earlier in the day at the state Capitol in Harrisburg where Wawa announced six stores will open later this year.
The stores include:
• Harrisburg Pike and Meade
Road in Lower Swatara Township.
• Maynard Street and First Street in Williamsport.
• Route 74 and Hilton Avenue in Dover.
• Route 30 and Route 116 in York.
• Route 94 and Clover Lane in Hanover.
• Route 15 and First Street in East Pennsboro Township.
On Wednesday, Wawa said it plans to open five to seven stores per year over the next five years. About a dozen more stores are projected to open in Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lycoming, Northumberland, Union and York counties by the end of 2025.