Longtime Plant City residents can be forgiven if they’re unfamiliar with Wawa, one of the most popular convenience stores in the Northeast. The franchise just opened in Plant City near Interstate 4 on Thonotosassa Road Thursday, Dec. 4, and there’s nothing in the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World quite like it.
Fortunately, there are a few experts around here who can convert anyone into a Wawa believer.
John and Norma Kelley, who both hail from eastern Pennsylvania, are quite possibly the biggest Wawa fans in Plant City. In fact, when the Plant City Times & Observer first reported that Wawa was coming to town, Norma visited the office within a day of the story’s publication to tell the Observer staff why it was worth getting excited for.
Both Kelleys came here from Delaware County, Wawa’s birthplace, though only John was actually born there. His memories of the store go back to when Wawa operated strictly as a dairy farm — before the convenience stores were even thought of.
“I went to the Wawa dairy when I was in fourth grade,” John said. “They had a 250-acre dairy in Wawa, Pennsylvania, just south of Media. In 1965, milk delivery stopped, so they ended up constructing a (convenience) store.”
The company kept the Wawa name, even though the first store opened up in another part of Delaware County.
In case anyone was wondering, the word “Wawa” is actually a Native American word for the Canada Goose, which was once prominent in the Delaware County area. That’s why the company uses a flying goose as its mascot.
John says, originally Wawa’s claims to fame were that its ATM machines didn’t charge customers a usage fee and that there also was no charge for customers who needed to put some air in their tires.
Of course, the hoagie’s rise to success has changed that. Wawa’s subs were notable for using locally-baked rolls, courtesy of Amoroso’s Baking Company — a partnership that exists to this day.
“It’s crisp on the outside, not like those hamburger or hot dog rolls you get at other places,” John said.
John loves to grab an Italian hoagie whenever he stops at a store, while Norma prefers a cup of one of its eight coffee blends.
Having lived around Wawa stores for much of their lives, the Kelleys became curious to find out where Floridians went for sandwiches and coffee. In their eyes, nothing could really stack up against grabbing a coffee or a hoagie from Wawa.
“It’s the truth,” Norma said. “Where did they all go? I’d ask people, ‘Where did you go? Why did you come here?’”
So far, the Kelleys haven’t encountered anyone who was totally disappointed with the Wawa experience. They were at its grand opening last week. Store No. 681 was introduced to the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World around 10:30 a.m., following a hoagie-building competition between the Plant City Police Department and Plant City Fire Rescue. Plant City Fire Rescue, which won the competition, received $1,000 to donate to United Food Bank of Plant City, and PCPD got $1,000 to contribute to the 2015 Police Unity Tour.
Vice Mayor Bill Dodson, who was joined by State Representative Dan Raulerson, did the honors of cutting the ribbon.
Wawa representatives also announced that a developer would contribute $250,000 to help the city improve the flow of traffic at the intersection of I-4 and Thonotosassa Road.
“They must be doing something right, for the company to be growing like this,” John said.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.