Wawa Opens In Newtown Twp., Large Crowd Turns Out To Celebrate

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Wawa pulled out all the stops Thursday morning to celebrate the opening of its newest store in Newtown Township.

Free t-shirts, complimentary coffee, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, and a hoagie-building challenge were just a few of the highlights as the new 5500-square-foot store and gas station opened for business at Lower Silver Lake Road and the Newtown Bypass.

A long line of customers numbering in the hundreds wrapped around the new building as the clock ticked down to 8 a.m., the official opening of the new store.

Following an official countdown, Wally the Goose joined Wawa area manager Maxi Blair in officially opening the doors to the new store and welcoming the first customers inside.

First in line were Christine Banas, her husband, David, and their son, Andrew, of Lower Makefield.

First in line were Christine Banas, her husband, David, and their son, Andrew, of Yardley.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Cutting the ribbon on the new store. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

"It's a great addition to the town," said Christine, of the new store. "We got here at 4:45 a.m. because we wanted to be a part of the opening. The turnout is amazing. There's definitely a party atmosphere going on here."

The Banas said they're loving the convenience of the new store, which is just 10 minutes away from their home in Lower Makefield.

For years, the convenience store chain has had its eye on the Newtown area, the only larger community in Bucks County not served by the Southeastern Pennsylvania-based chain. The closest stores to Newtown are in Yardley Borough and Richboro.

Wawa President Brian Schaller told Patch that opening a store in Newtown "is a big deal. This store took 10 or 11 years. They usually don't take that long, but this is absolutely huge. We wanted to be in this customer base. Certainly, the location off of I-295 and the Bypass is big. We're just thrilled and beyond excited to be here."

The store is also a Wawa first in Pennsylvania to incorporate solar panels into its design. The panels, located on top of the fueling canopy, will power 20 percent of the store.

The panels were requested by Newtown Township Supervisor Elen Snyder who changed her vote on the project after the developer, Provco Pinegood LLC, agreed to the condition.

"When you see the solar panels and the EV charging stations and our recycling program, all of this is about bringing you the best and latest that we have to offer," Schaller told the gathering.

"We're getting close to 1150 stores, but today our focus is here," said Schaller. "We're giving the community what we think is a very unique store," he said. "This is a newer store model. The brick, we're very proud of. And we're going to work hard to make this the best experience across the chain," he said.

The celebration continued with Wawa's signature Hoagies For Heroes grand opening challenge, which pitted Newtown Fire Rescue against the Newtown Township Police Department in a hoagie-building contest. Both agencies put their hoagie-making skills to the test as they raced against the clock to build the most hoagies in three minutes.

When it was over, the men in blue claimed victory and won the prestigious Wawa Hoagies for Heroes trophy, but no one left empty-handed. Wawa presented both organizations with a $1,000 donation toward the Bucks County Heroes Scholarship Fund.

Members of Newtown Fire Rescue take part in the hoagie-making challenge. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Members of the Newtown Township Police Department celebrate their big hoagie-making win. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Wawa team members with Newtown's first responders. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

The store capped off its celebration with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and confetti drop.

Frank Mutter of Newtown and his daughter, Elizabeth, who is visiting from Seattle, Washington, stopped by the store for the celebration. "I'm amazed at the crowd," said Frank. "It's a nice addition. I'm glad it's out where it is," he added. "After all the wrangling and back and forth, they finally got into town."

Both father and daughter are Wawa fans. And they both agreed that the hoagies are the best part of the store.

Bucks County native Rosemary Merkel, a customer service supervisor for Wawa in North Carolina, returned home this week to take part in the Newtown opening.

"I moved to North Carolina, but if I were here, this would be my store of choice. I love Newtown," said Merkel, who spent a lot of time here either as a member or employee at the NAC, Orange Theory and Ignite Fitness. "It's a beautiful store. It's going to do really well," she predicted.

The family-owned business based in Delaware County is known for its hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, the “Sizzli” − a hot breakfast sandwich and favorite among morning commuters - dinner items including burgers, fries and pizza, along with soups, sides and snacks, and a full line of hot, iced and frozen specialty beverages. Wawa also carries more than 6,000 items, including groceries, tobacco and candy.

George Wood founded the Wawa Dairy in 1902 in Delaware County, to bottle fresh milk products from certified Guernsey cows. The Wawa Dairy produced and delivered certified Wawa milk to the doorsteps of homes throughout the Philadelphia region. Its milk and cream products were of the highest quality and received the highest accolades from physicians and consumers.

The first Wawa Food Market opened on April 16, 1964, in Folsom. By 1969, the first stores in New Jersey and Delaware opened, and Wawa Kitchens were offering foods like hamburgers and fried chicken.

In the decades since, the company has grown to become a powerhouse gas station and convenience store chain. It now has more than 1,500 locations spread across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C.

Newtown Township Supervisor Dennis Fisher cheers on the opening with Wally the Goose. "I'd like to extend our welcome to Newtown. It's been a long time coming," said Fisher. "We're already developing a relationship with the company and I believe Wawa is going to be a good neighbor to Newtown."

The solar panels are incorporated into the fueling station canopy. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Wawa General Manager Robert Kelly counts down to the opening of the store.