New Wawa Store Coming Soon To Morris County

MOUNTAIN LAKES, NJ — Wawa is expanding its presence in Morris County once more.

According to Jennifer Wolf, a spokesperson for Wawa, the popular convenience store chain will open its newest location in Mountain Lakes later this year, in Q4. The new store will be located in the former Zeris Inn at 372 US-46, Mountain Lakes.

The Zeris Inn first opened its doors in 1973, and by 1997, the family had also opened Chrisandis Restaurant on the same property, which was named after Chris and Andy Zeris. The Zeris Family had hosted over 6,000 weddings, as well as numerous fundraisers and charity events, by the time the businesses closed.

"They cemented themselves and their business as a staple in the social fabric and family lives of many residents of Morris County," county officials said.

The Route 46 site broke ground earlier this year, and construction on the convenience store is still ongoing.

Discussions about converting the property into a Wawa began in December 2020, when Highview Commercial, LLC submitted an application to the borough's planning board.

After several public hearings, the board voted 8 to 1 to approve the application in June 2021, with Board members Martin Kane, Kelly Holliday, Nicholas Coppola, Mitchell Stern, Jeff Berei, Thomas Menard, Bethany Russo, and Audrey Lane voting in favor and John Horan voting against.

Wawa did not respond to Patch's request for construction dates. The Mountain Lakes site is also still not on the company's list of new locations "coming soon."

Wawa's traditional menu offerings can be viewed here for both food and beverages.

The gas station has a handful of stores set to open throughout 2023, further expanding the store's presence in both the northern and southern parts of the Garden State, as well as along the Jersey Shore.

There are currently more than 260 Wawa locations in New Jersey.