Wawa Continues Local Expansion with South Tampa Store

Boasting smooth coffee, built-to-order hoagies and lack of ATM surcharges, Wawa made another mark in the Tampa Bay region by opening its doors in South Tampa, the seventeenth location in the state of Florida.

The Pennsylvania-based chain's entrance into South Tampa was a memorable one for customers, who are being treated to free coffee through May 18 at the 401 N. Dale Mabry location.

Outside the store, the red and white logo was visible beneath a tent where customers received free T-shirts, warm greetings from employees and heard praises about the new business from Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Charlie Miranda and a host of Wawa executives.

"We couldn't be happier to offer more and more Tampa Bay residents the convenience that Wawa has to offer," said Sal Mattera, senior vice president of operations for Wawa, adding that there are more than 50 Wawa associates who work at each store.

Buckhorn said he hopes the expansion continues around Tampa Bay.

"It has a cult following," Buckhorn said. "It's not a typical convenience store. They're making a serious investment to Tampa Bay."

Candace MacDowall, a South Tampa resident, said she stopped by the grand opening after hearing positive reviews about Wawa from her girlfriends.

"They told me about the coffee, and said the sandwiches are good," she said. "I wanted to check it out. I can come get food here, since my office is a block away."

Judy Lombardia, also a South Tampa resident, said her daughter heard about Wawa while attending college in Mississippi and told Lombardia about it.

"The place is great," she said, "and the gas is the cheapest around."

Toward the end of the grand opening celebration, a charitable hoagie-making competition was held between Tampa Fire Rescue and Tampa Police.

Fire rescue won.

Check out a Patch Clips video of Lori Bruce, a spokeswoman for Wawa, about what Wawa has to offer.

Fun Facts About Wawa:

• Wawa is the Lenni-Lenape name for a Canada Goose.
• Wawa has six stores in Tampa Bay, including the South Tampa location.
• Wawa has 17 stores in the state of Florida.
• Wawa plans to open 14 additional stores in the state of Florida - 10 in Orlando, and four in Tampa.
• Wawa has 18,000 associates, and sells more than 60 million built-to-order hoagies each year.
• Wawa sells 195 million cups of coffee each year, and serves 400 million customers each year.