Pick up your hoagies and iced coffees at the window. Florida is getting its first drive-thru Wawa
No more throwing on shoes and a decent outfit for a hoagie and iced coffee run.
Wawa will open a stand-alone drive-thru in the Tampa Bay area. It will be the first in the state and is expected to be open by the end of this year in Largo.
Here's what we know so far about the new location and concept for the convenience store chain.
Where will the drive-through Wawa be located?
The upcoming drive-thru establishment will be located at 2530 East Bay Drive in Largo.
When will Wawa's Florida drive-thru open?
The project officially was approved in late July, with construction expected to begin soon. City officials said it would be completed by the end of the year. A city development order will allow for a 2,036-square-foot building to be constructed after demolishing the vacant drive-thru on site currently.
Grab some pizza: Gas station or pizza parlor? Wawa adds pizza to its ever-growing portfolio of food options
Can you get gas at the new Wawa drive-thru?
Unlike its usual format, this new concept will not include any gas pumps.
What is the reason behind this new concept?
Per Wawa’s original release on the new concept back in 2020, officials said that with an "ongoing mission of providing convenience for customers, this innovative model is solely focused on drive-thru and curbside pickup service where customers can use state-of-the-art technology to quickly order Wawa’s most popular food and beverages, including value meals, combo meals along with coffee and specialty beverages.”
Are there other drive-thru Wawas?
Wawa has opened two drive-thru-only stores in:
Falls Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Wawa currently operates more than 900 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C. CEO Chris Gheysens told the Philadelphia Business Journal that they plan to expand to approximately 1,800 locations by 2030 and will include more drive-thru location in coming years.
What is the Wawa drive-thru menu?
According to Medium, the Wawa drive-thru menu offers the typical fixings you see inside at the gas station, including all of the coffee necessities and hoagie combinations you could dream up. Patrons could see the recent additions on the screen, such as the burger and pizza.
They also offer kids' meals, which consist of mac and cheese or chicken fingers with a side and a drink (plus a toy). A limited selection of packaged products is also available, including donuts, pretzels, and Wawa Iced tea.
What does Wawa mean?
According to their website, officials said they got the name from the Native American word for the Canada Goose that was found in the Delaware Valley over 100 years ago. Their original dairy farm was built on land located in a rural section of Pennsylvania called Wawa, which is why they use the goose for Wawa's corporate logo.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Wawa drive-thru coming to Florida, with Tampa Bay area getting 1st one
