Communities slated for an upgrade of their Wawas from economy-size to super-size often worry about traffic flow and light pollution and other drawbacks of large-footprint convenience stores. Those concerns, however, have been alleviated in Doylestown, reports Natalie Kostelini in the Philadelphia Business Journal. 

When Provco Group, the developer of Wawa convenience stores, approached Doylestown in 2017 about a building a new Super Wawa, the borough was all in. So was the public. 

The initial enthusiasm was especially surprising to Provco. Its leadership initially thought there was no way the borough would want a Wawa with gas pumps. 

But the two entities united on a workable, pleasing aesthetic. 

“They were adamant about streetscape and creating a gateway into the borough,” Mike Cooley, Provco VP, said. “We built a beautiful clock tower and knee walls to reflect the period architecture of the borough, specifically the likes of the Fonthill Castle, Moravian Pottery and Tile Works and the Mercer Museum.” 

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Mercer Museum tiles were laid into the wall and piers along the front of the property. The Wawa, and its 12 gas pumps, opened March 25. 

“We have a Wawa that is clearly a Wawa but also a Doylestown Wawa,” said Borough Manager John Davis. “We’re not anti-development. We’re anti bad development.” 

More on this unique site in the Wawa brand is in the Philadelphia Business Journal.