'Wawa South' Announces More Expansion Plans

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Residents in South Florida will soon be going the Wawa Way.

Wawa Inc. is looking for space in South Florida, according to the South Florida Business Journal. Speaking at an event at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center on Thursday, Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens said the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain is scouting locations in Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Wawa plans to double its number of c-stores in Florida by the end of 2016, he added.

The South Florida market is expected to support at least 30 stores, said John Poplawski, senior director of site acquisition, adding that Wawa may begin expanding into Miami-Dade County by 2017 or 2018.

Each convenience store is expected to create about 150 construction jobs and about 30 permanent positions, according to the news journal.

Wawa opened its first location in the Sunshine State in July 2012. Since that first store in Orlando, the retailer has grown its Florida portfolio to 59 locations. Wawa plans to reach 109 stores by the end of next year.

"Our goal is to create a Wawa South," Gheysens said.

Wawa Inc. currently operates more than 680 c-stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.