Wawa stages three-store opening in Lee County

FORT MYERS — Wawa, the Pennsylvania-based chain of convenience stores with a cult-like following, is opening three stores in Lee County today.

Two of the stores are opening in Fort Myers — one on Cleveland Avenue and the other on Colonial Boulevard — and the third store is opening on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral. The company has scheduled a party at each new store, complete with a hoagie-making contest between police and firefighters.

The stores are part of the company's rapid expansion plans in Florida from its base in the Mid-Atlantic. The company, which already has opened stores in the Tampa Bay region, plans to open 300 stores in Florida and 80 on the Gulf Coast.

Wawa stores compete with more than just convenience store rivals such as 7-Eleven. The stores sell premium coffee, made-to-order sandwiches and other fresh foods.

You can read a recent story about Wawa's Florida strategy, including an interview with Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens, in the Business Observer here.