FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. --Wawa Inc. has revealed plans for expanding into Broward and Palm Beach counties in southern Florida during the next five years, reported The South Florida Business Journal. The Wawa, Pa.-based convenience store and gas station chain is scouting locations now.
Chris Gheysens, the chain's president, made the announcement at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center, where executives offered details about the company's timeline to seek out spaces and build locations:
- By the end of 2015, Wawa wants to secure 15 project locations.
- By the end of 2016, the company plans to break ground on the first three to five stores in the southern Florida market.
- By the end of 2018, Wawa expects to have 30 to 40 secured project locations.
- By the end of 2019, the company wants to have about 20 stores open in Palm Beach County and about 20 stores in Broward County.
The company also expects to expand into Miami-Dade by 2017 or 2018, John Poplawski, senior director of site acquisition, told the newspaper.
Wawa, which currently has 59 stores in the state, plans to open its 100th Florida store in 2016, four years after building its first store in Orlando.
It expects to open about 180 stores by 2019, with more expansions into southwestern Florida and the west coast of Florida.
"Our goal is to create a Wawa South," Gheysens told the paper.
Southern Florida is a natural fit for Wawa because of the region's dense population and its number of northeastern transplants who know the brand, Gheysens said, according to a separate report by The Sun-Sentinel. "This feels like Wawa territory for us."
He added, "I think the reception in Central Florida has been overwhelming, in a positive way. We are looking forward to being a part of South Florida."
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Wawa is a privately held company with more than 680 convenience stores, more than 415 offering gasoline. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. The convenience stores offer a large foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.
Click here to view the full South Florida Business Journal report. And click here to view the full Sun-Sentinel report.
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