Wawa Plans Sunshine State Milestone Celebration

ORLANDO, Fla. — A little more than two years after opening its first Florida convenience store, Wawa Inc. is getting ready to raise a coffee cup in toast to its 50th location in the state.

The Pennsylvania-based retailer will reach the milestone with the Sept. 18 grand opening of its store at 4100 E. Colonial Drive in Orlando. In celebration, Wawa plans to offer customers free coffee throughout the day at all of its Florida stores, according to Central Florida Future.

In addition, the company will donate more than $150,000 to six community nonprofits and host a Hoagies for Heroes Hall of Fame Competition led by police and fire chiefs.

The grand-opening celebration will also include the announcement of the next 50 stores set to open in the Florida market within the next two years, the news outlet reported.

"We could not be more excited to celebrate this incredible milestone in our newest Wawaland," said Chris Gheysens, president and CEO.

Wawa first appeared on the Florida scene in July 2012, with the opening of its first store in Orlando on Central Florida Parkway, across from SeaWorld Orlando. In the past 26 months, the company has opened 31 stores in the Orlando market, 19 in the Tampa market and plans to open nine more by the end of this year.

Wawa owns and operates more than 657 convenience stores — 400 of which are fuel stores — in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia and central Florida.