A 6,000-square-foot Wawa with ten fuel pumps is scheduled to open its doors Thursday morning at 799 Valley Forge Road in Schuylkill Township, marking the end of a development saga that stretched back nearly a decade. The store, built on the site of a former Exxon station near North Whitehorse Road, would mark Wawa's 75th opening of 2026 as the chain races toward nearly 100 new stores across 14 states this year.
A countdown is planned just before the 8 a.m. door-opening Thursday, with about 35 full- and part-time associates on hand, according to The Mercury. A ceremony spotlighting the company's history follows at 8:30 a.m., and the first 100 customers through the door will walk away with a free Wawa Grand Opening Tour in the USA t-shirt while supplies last. Wawa President Brian Schaller said the chain's growth lets it invest in and support more communities while creating jobs and career opportunities for associates, the outlet reports.
A Decade in the Making
The Schuylkill Township Board of Supervisors granted Preliminary and Final Land Development Approval for the site in April 2024 under Resolution No. 2024-12, the culmination of a planning and public hearing process that stretched back nearly a decade, according to Schuylkill Township records. The approval came with specific local conditions attached, including a requirement that the developer install a decorative sign on the property reading “Schuylkill Township Established 1826,” per documentation reviewed by Citizen Portal.
Much of the lengthy review centered on traffic at the intersection of Valley Forge Road and Whitehorse Road, concerns that were amplified by a simultaneous, competing proposal for a Sheetz store at an adjacent site. That Sheetz plan was officially withdrawn in early 2025, according to Phoenixville Patch, which also detailed the site's physical specifications and history as a former fueling station.
Filling a Gap in Wawa's Local Map
The new store becomes Wawa's third serving the greater Phoenixville area, joining existing locations on Schuylkill Road and Egypt Road, according to a thread on the r/Wawa subreddit. The Valley Forge Road location adds another Wawa option for that side of town. The new store adds to Wawa's nationwide footprint.
Hoagie Competition and Grand-Opening Perks
As with other recent openings, this one comes wrapped in Wawa's standard celebration playbook. Local first responders will compete in the Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building contest, racing to build the most hoagies in a set time, with the competition benefiting local charities, per details in The Mercury's report. Free coffee will be available at the new location through October 25.
Wawa's Grand Opening Tour includes stops across 14 states. The chain operates more than 1,200 locations across 14 states.
A Family-and-Employee-Owned Giant
Wawa remains a privately held company, with descendants of the founding Wood family owning approximately 59 percent of shares while employees hold the remaining 41 percent through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, according to Pilot Hill Advisors. Across its entire store network, Wawa serves more than 1 billion customers a year, according to Pilot Hill Advisors.
