SCHUYLKILL TOWNSHIP, PA — After years of anticipation, controversy, and debate, the new super Wawa on Route 23 will open its doors this week.
A grand opening event for the store at 799 Valley Forge Road, near the intersection with N. Whitehorse Road, will be held Thursday, Oct. 22.
The new 10 pump gas station and 24-hour, 6,000 foot Wawa convenience store will replace the former Exxon gas staiton. The project has been in the works for years, with debates over its planning and construction stretching back nearly a decade.
Residents had many concerns over the years, but chief among them was the additional traffic new construction will bring to an already congested area. These concerns were multiplied by the near simultaneous approval of a new Sheetz at the nearby former location of Royal Bank.
This marks the 75th of around 100 stores Wawa plans to open across 14 states in 2026.
"Our ongoing growth and expansion allow us to invest in and provide meaningful support to more communities and create new jobs and opportunities for our associates to soar in their careers," Wawa's president Brian Schaller said in a statement.
The store is called the "Phoenixville" location, though it lies over the border with Schuylkill Township.
A grand opening party will begin at 7:55 a.m. Thursday, with a countdown to doors opening at 8 a.m. Free "Wawa Grand Opening Tour in the USA" t-shirts will be available for the first 100 customers, and free coffee will be given out through Sunday, Oct. 25.
The opening will also feature a ceremony highlighting Wawa's 200 year history, along with a hoagie-building competition between first responders benefitting local charities.
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