The History of Wawa: From Iron Foundry to Convenience Store

The Wawa business began in 1803 as an iron foundry. In 1890, George Wood, a businessman from New Jersey, moved to Delaware County, Pennsylvania and established the Wawa dairy farm. This marked the start of a long and successful journey for the company, which eventually led to the opening of its first store in April 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania. The first Wawa store was a small food market that sold a variety of items, including milk, eggs, bread, and other grocery items.

It was the first of its kind in the area and quickly became popular with locals. The store remained in operation until June of last year, when it was replaced by a modern “Super Wawa” across the street. Although Wawa's first store opened in 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania, the company has more than 200 years of history. According to a 1989 Philadelphia Inquirer article, estimates of those who do live in Wawa range from about five families.

Wawa's first food market opened in Folsom, Delaware County, in 1964 and began the evolution of the corporation from a dairy company to a convenience store. Employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current jobs at Wawa. These programs, in addition to a unique business model and a long history of success, make Wawa a valuable asset to the many communities it serves. Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Wawa, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data and more, to inform job seekers about Wawa.

In 1985, Wawa partnered with PNC Bank to facilitate no-fee ATM transactions for its customers in 6 states.

Wawa stores

located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida sell more than 60 million made-to-order sandwiches annually. Whether you're a daily customer of Wawa or have only heard stories about the convenience store chain that has Oscar winner Kate Winslet among its fans, here are some things you might not know about the best place in the world to buy a sandwich, iced tea and Tastykakes. The company's roots can be traced back to 1803 when it was founded as an iron foundry by George Wood. However, it was changed to its current name following Edward Worth's construction of his estate which he named Wawa.

In the 1960s home delivery became less and less popular as people started buying milk from grocery stores. This prompted Wawa to transition from being a dairy company to a grocery store. In 1992, Wawa formalized ownership of its associates with its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), and shares were awarded to associates annually based on prior year service. In a society where consumers always remember what they like and what they don't like, history matters and Wawa has one of the strongest stories. Half of the city of Wawa, Pennsylvania is located in Middletown and the other half in Chester Heights which is where the company's headquarters are located. From humble beginnings as an iron foundry to becoming one of America's most beloved convenience stores with over 200 years of history behind it; Wawa has come a long way since its inception.

Tristan Gagliardo
Tristan Gagliardo

Proud social media ninja. Bacon expert. Unapologetic gamer. Proud zombie nerd. Freelance pop culture scholar.

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