Wawa to Open First-Ever Freestanding Drive-Thru Location

WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. plans to build its first freestanding drive-thru in Falls Township, Pa.

Located at the intersection of West Trenton and Pine Grove Roads in Lower Bucks County, the 1,850-square-foot location will focus on fresh food offered in a drive-thru experience.

The new, innovative model is part of the convenience store retailer's ongoing mission of providing convenience for customers and will only offer drive-thru service and curbside pickup where customers can use state-of-the-art technology to quickly order Wawa's most popular food and beverages, the company said. This includes value meals and combo meals, as well as coffee and specialty beverages.

The store's architectural design is based on key Wawa brand elements such as its trademarked canopy.

"Wawa continues to test new store concepts with this latest drive-thru format, providing an opportunity for our customers to still experience and enjoy their favorite Wawa products while remaining inside their vehicle," said Terri Micklin, director of construction at Wawa. "It is critical to provide new ways to access Wawa, increase convenience and provide new options for service."

Construction is slated to begin in late August with a targeted opening date of December 2020. The store will add approximately 25 jobs, including four full-time positions.

"We are hoping to learn from the layout, workflow and traffic flow at this location, as we continue to explore alternatives for longer term application to our stores post-COVID-19," Micklin said. "We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Falls Township officials, who are providing us with the approvals and support of this newly designed store format that will be of benefit to the community."

The announcement comes weeks after Wawa revealed plans to open its first location with a drive-thru in Westampton, N.J., as Convenience Store News previously reported.

Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates 900 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.