Wawa opens new store in region with social distancing ribbon cutting

CAPE CORAL — Wawa opened a new store in Cape Coral on June 11. 

Wawa’s newest store, at 2603 Santa Barbara Blvd., is the company's fifth store in Lee County.

The store will employ about 40 associates. It will be led by Wawa General Manager Christopher Boone and Area Manager Kevin Sekula.

The store opened to the public with a first-ever social distancing ribbon cutting, with associates standing six feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Customers were encouraged to watch an opening day video posted on Facebook. 

During COVID-19, Wawa has made several changes, including the launch of The Wawa Clean Force, a sanitizing team working at each store every day. Additional protections and policies include masks and gloves for all associates; clear plastic safety guards at check out and food service counters; more frequent hand-washing standards; and temperature checks for associates before each shift. For customers, changes include social distancing with visual markers and additional hand sanitizer stations.

“As a new store opens, we will continue to provide comfort and a sense of normalcy in the safest way possible, while listening to what our friends and neighbors need most throughout these challenging times," says Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens in a statement. 

Wawa Inc. is a privately held company that began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Penn., in 1902. The business was a success, but as home delivery of milk declined, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa offers prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.