Two Wawa stores open in PBC; free coffee for 10 days at new West Palm, Lake Worth locations

James Coleman, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read
Store manager Danielle Dieter of Jupiter, Fla., cuts the ceremonial red ribbon as Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.
Store manager Danielle Dieter of Jupiter, Fla., cuts the ceremonial red ribbon as Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.

The food and fuel retailer Wawa has been a hit in Palm Beach County, and Thursday it opened new locations in West Palm Beach and suburban Lake Worth Beach.

As is customary at all Wawa grand openings, there will be free coffee and promotional fuel pricing at the two locations — 2307 45th St. in West Palm Beach and 4530 Lantana Road near Lake Worth Beach — until Feb. 19.

Wawa is all about expansion, especially in Florida

Wawa now has 15 stores in Palm Beach County and plans to open up to 75 new stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida in 2023.

In Palm Beach County, stores have recently opened in West Palm Beach, west of Boynton Beach and west of Delray Beach.

The grand opening of the new Palm Beach County stores Thursday marks the second and third stores to open this year among the chain’s six-state operating area of Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.
Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.

Where was Florida's first Wawa location?

Wawa’s first Florida store opened in Orlando in July 2012. Since then, it has opened more than 100 locations across the state and has been rapidly expanding its footprint south.

Wawa entered the South Florida market in 2017 when it opened three stores in one day — two in Palm Springs and one in Riviera Beach. Less than three months later, a Wawa opened on Belvedere Road near Palm Beach International Airport. The company plans to open 20 to 30 stores a year statewide.

The chain also announced its future expansion to Florida's Panhandle, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

Rosalind "Ms. Ros" McKinnes, West Palm Beach, left, Sheldon Guy, Coral Springs, center and costumed Wawa mascot Wally dance as Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.
Rosalind "Ms. Ros" McKinnes, West Palm Beach, left, Sheldon Guy, Coral Springs, center and costumed Wawa mascot Wally dance as Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.

About the new Palm Beach County Wawa stores

Ronalee Orlick will serve as general manager of the new Lake Worth Beach-area store, and Danielle Dieter will serve as general manager of the new West Palm Beach store, each leading a team of about 50 associates, all of which are new positions brought to the area through the development of the store.

The Lake Worth Beach-area store is at the corner of Lantana Road and Military Trail.

The West Palm store is at a key location right at the Interstate 95 exit and has eight islands with 16 fuel pumps.

Rosalind "Ms. Ros" McKinnes, West Palm Beach, left, a costumed Wawa mascot Wally, second from left and Sheldon Guy, Coral Springs, center, finish a speed-making sandwich contest with spirited food flinging among competing teams as Wawa personnel celebrated a grand opening with a new store location at 45th Street and Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach, Fla., on February 9, 2023.

Why are they called Wawa and are their sandwiches really delicious?

  • The stores offer significantly cheaper gas along with free air for tires.

  • Wawa says it sells 195 million cups of coffee a year, including a variety of latte and cappuccino flavors and sizes.

  • The company, headquartered in Wawa, Pennsylvania, has a loyal following and is known for its signature made-to-order hoagies. More than 60 million made-to-order hoagies have been sold.

  • Other key products include a variety of coffee, latte, and cappuccino flavors and sizes. Wawa also offers a brand of hot breakfast products, the most famous of which is the "Sizzli" sandwich, and also a full deli with touch-screen ordering of sandwiches, hot sides, drinks, and deli meats.

  • Wawa sells alcohol in Florida.

James Coleman is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at jcoleman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

Wawa locations in Palm Beach County, February 2023.
Wawa locations in Palm Beach County, February 2023.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Two new Wawa stores open in Palm Beach County; free coffee for 10 days