Wawa Opens in Homestead

Celebrations include honoring Associates, Customers and the Community  

Wawa, Inc., opened its newest store ,located at 11200 SW 248 St., Homestead on Thursday, May 11th. Local friends and neighbors were invited to join General Manager Teresa Sanchez to count down the moment when the doors opened at 8:00 a.m. for the very first time.

This ceremonial start gives a nod to the power of positivity and kindness that naturally occurs when Wawa customers hold the door for one another, celebrating a gesture that happens thousands of times a day at Wawa stores and makes everyone feel welcomed and appreciated.

The first 100 customers through the door on May 11th received a limited-edition “Wawa Coffee, Hoagies & Kindness” t-shirt, while supplies last. All customers can enjoy free coffee from May 11th to May 21st.

“At Wawa, our core purpose is fulfilling lives every day, and since our first store opened, we’ve believed that we all have a role in making this world a better place,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s President and CEO. “Our associates deliver experiences and often create emotional connections with customers that go beyond what traditionally happens in a retail environment, and we look forward to welcoming old friends and making new ones in this wonderful community!”

Wawa also recognized local first responders with its signature Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building competition. Local first responders from Homestead Police Department and Miami Dade Fire Rescue competed to see who could build the most hoagies in three-minutes. Wawa presented checks for $1,000 to each department’s charity of choice.

Teresa Sanchez will serve as general manager of the new Homestead Wawa store, leading a team of approximately 40 associates, all of which are new positions brought to the area through the development of the store.

Associates in these full and part-time positions will receive competitive salaries, health benefits when eligible, and participate in Wawa’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Wawa Associates own 39% of Wawa through the ESOP. More information and current job opportunities can be viewed at: www.wawa.com/careers The store is fully equipped with a built-to-order, fresh food kitchen featuring its signature hoagies (80 million hoagies sold annually) and newest food innovations such as the ever-popular burger: award-winning Wawa coffee (195 million cups sold annually); the Sizzli, Wawa’s hot breakfast sandwich; Wawa’s new line of specialty beverages (hot, cold, iced and frozen); the Wawa Bakery; and Wawa’s beverage line of dairy products, juices and teas, plus packaged goods and fuel services, among other amenities.

In addition to the store-level experience, customers can access their Wawa favorites through mobile ordering, curbside pickup, delivery options and its newest Catering Online offer where customers can order favorite Wawa foods for their upcoming events at: www.wawacatering.com.

Wawa plans to open up to 76 new stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida in 2023. The grand opening of the Homestead location is the 15th store to open among the chain’s six-state operating area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The chain also announced its future expansion to the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, with more details on those new locations to be shared soon.

Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took aninterest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products.

Forbes.com ranks Wawa as #24 of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022.

For more information, visit www.wawa.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.