Wawa Announces Official Launch Schedule for Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Wawa will officially open for business in the Sunshine State with an aggressive schedule of grand openings. Five Central Florida stores will open in five weeks starting July 18, with the first store located directly across from Sea World in Orlando.

"We can't wait to open our doors to our new Florida family, and are excited to quickly enter the Greater Orlando area and begin offering our new customers our unique brand of appetizing convenience," said Wawa CEO Howard Stoeckel. "As each location opens, we will further solidify our commitment to filling a void in our new Florida customers' lives, providing them with a level of convenience and appetite appeal our customers have come to rely on us for."

The official launch schedule includes:

• July 18 -- Store No. 5101
5910 Central Florida Pkwy.
Orlando, Fla. 32821

• July 25 -- Store No. 5103
4700 S. Goldenrod Road
Orlando, Fla. 32822

• August 1 -- Store No. 5102
2184 E. Irlo Bronson
Kissimmee, Fla. 34744

• August 8 -- Store No. 5104
2499 N. Orange Blossom
Trail Kissimmee, Fla. 34744

• August 15 -- Store No. 5100
2500 Silver Star Road
Orlando, Fla. 32804

Each store will host a grand opening event. Wawa will invite local officials, heroes and community members to help celebrate the festivities, sample Wawa products and learn about Wawa's expected economic and community impact, the company said.

Wawa plans to open a total of six stores in the Orlando area in 2012, and will open its first Tampa stores in 2013. The chain expects to open 20 stores in 2013, 25 stores in 2014 and 25 stores in 2015, and projects it will open 100 stores in the two markets during the next five years. The new stores are expected to employ nearly 35 associates each.

Based in Pennsylvania, Wawa Inc. currently operates more than 595 convenience stores in its home state, as well as Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.