- April 15, 2024
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Amid news of SweetBay Supermarkets closing 33 of its Florida locations, most of which are located in Tampa Bay, a convenience chain is making its debut in the local market.
The first Tampa Bay Wawa will open Friday at Gandy Boulevard and Grand Avenue in Pinellas Park. Furthermore, the new convenience store is the first of five Bay-area openings scheduled by the Pennsylvania-based chain in as many weeks.
The retailer expects to open 100 convenience stores in Florida within five years. The chain already has more than 570 stores across the country — you can fill your gas tank at 200 of them. The stores offer coffee, freshly made hoagies, and a variety of groceries. Patrons can dine in or get the items to go.
Wawa's arrival is good economic news for the state, according to Gov. Rick Scott's office. The new stores are expected to bring about 3,500 jobs to Florida over the next five years, with each store providing 35 full-time and part-time jobs.
The Florida openings represent the first group of new retail locations outside of Wawa's core location in the Mid-Atlantic region.
