Wawa continues to make big plans in the local market.
Last year, Wawa secured a location at the northwest corner of County Road 466 and U.S. 301 in Oxford.
On Monday night, Wawa won a key vote of the Lady Lake Commission to build a gasoline and convenience store at U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and County Road 466.
In April, a Wawa representative told Lady Lake officials that the company is also looking at property on U.S. Hwy. 441 near Lowe’s.
Wawa is targeting a location on U.S. Hwy. 441 near Griffin Road in Leesburg, according to the city’s public information officer, Derek Hudson. There has been speculation that Wawa could take over the real estate now occupied by Citizens First Bank at 1341Griffin Road.
Last year, it was reported that Wawa plans to open 50 new stores in the United States. Half of them are to be located in Florida.
Wawa, 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 an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Pennsylvania, 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. Wawa adopted the Canada goose in flight as its mascot.
It now dominates the Philadelphia market in coffee sales, selling over 200 million cups a year. It is No. 6 nationally.
