A new Wawa store and gas station is coming to the Villages of Florida, bringing the Delaware County-based convenience store’s unique offerings to the retirees who live there, writes Jennifer Torres for Gulf Live.

Just this week, the Villages-News reported the land was cleared and construction crews were spotted “walking the site.”

A second store is going up six minutes away joining three existing stores already serving the surrounding areas.

Florida’s first Wawa opened in Orlando on July 18, 2012, and some people in the Sunshine State have compared the convenience stores to the television show “Cheers,” where you can just hang out while pretending to run errands.

There are now 287 Florida locations, closing in on New Jersey’s 298 stores.

The new store, set to open before year’s end, is the start of a pipeline of Wawa sites for the Panhandle region, with eight to 10 stores coming to Pensacola — and another 20 stores planned across the Florida Panhandle in the next five to eight years.

Wawa’s first drive-thru store in Florida opened in Largo in June. It’s one of just three in the country, with the others located in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Read more about the new Wawas opening in Florida in Gulf Live.

Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on BUCKSCO Today in September 2024.