Wawa Opens Newtown Location To Cheers, Large Crowd

Hundreds of people gathered Thursday for the grand opening of the new Wawa, a 5,585-square-foot store at the corner of Newtown Bypass and Lower Silver Lake Road in Newtown Township.

The crowd included Christine Banas and her son, Andrew, who arrived at 4:45 a.m. to be the first customers inside.

The Banases moments before entering the new Wawa. Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com

The Banases were the first to enter the store around 8 a.m.

“Andrew really wanted to experience a Wawa grand opening,” Christine Banas said. “This was perfect because it was 15 minutes away from the house.

Andrew Banas said he enjoyed the festivities and his free T-shirt. He ordered a chocolate milkshake.

“This was above our expectations because we didn’t expect a big party outside,” Christine Banas said.

The new Wawa features amenities found in modern Wawa stores, including gas pumps.

The store is the first Wawa in Pennsylvania to incorporate solar panels, which are located on the fuel canopy.

The company stated solar panels are projected to supply up to 20 percent of the store’s energy needs.

Wawa currently has 141 stores with solar panels, with 130 in New Jersey and 10 in Maryland.

Brian Schaller, Wawa’s president, said the new store’s staff was handpicked and is led by Brian Kelly, a local general manager who has opened several stores in the area.

The first 100 customers received free T-shirts.

All customers can receive free hot coffee of any size from opening day through Sunday, Aug. 3.

The grand opening also featured a “Hoagies for Heroes” hoagie building competition between Newtown Township police and Newtown Fire-Rescue crews, with Wally the Wawa goose cheering the teams on.

Each agency received $1,000 for their charity of choice.

The police department won the trophy after a fierce contest.

The development of the new Wawa follows a 2023 settlement between the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors and Wawa, resolving a legal dispute over the site.

Wawa’s history dates back to the Millville Manufacturing Company, a textile business founded in 1865. The company moved into the dairy business in 1902 and transitioned into the multi-state convenience store chain it is today.