While not the first Wawa drive-thru ever, the c-store will bring its fast, fresh food to the Sunshine State with its first drive-thru in Largo, Florida. The location will take over the lot where a KFC used to operate. There are plans to tear down the existing building and construct a new 2,036-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru.

Wawa drive-thrus are a recent addition to the company with the first one opening as a part of a convenience store in Westampton, NJ, in December 2020, and the first standalone drive-thru restaurant that opened in January of 2021.

Terri Micklin, director of construction at Wawa, alluded to future stores upon the opening in New Jersey, “We are hoping to learn from the layout, workflow and traffic flow at this location, as we continue to explore alternatives for longer term application to our stores post-COVID-19.  We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Falls Township officials, who are providing us with the approvals and support of this newly designed store format that will be of benefit to the community.”

In reference to expansion and convenience at the drive-thru in New Jersey, Wawa’s press release states, “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.”

Innovative store designs and consumer-centric access are gaining in popularity. Read the Daily article “QSR New Builds Respond to Digital-Leaning Customers” to learn more about the new ways foodservice is reaching consumers.

Also, read how smart store design can help solve for labor in “Saving Steps” at nacsmagazine.com.