At one time Wawa self-described itself
as a ‘fast-casual’ restaurant. That may have well be true if you were to look
at average ticket size, menu mix, and customer base. However according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA
based Foodservice Solutions® whether you call it a convenience store, fast
casual restaurant or a fresh food fast grocerant one thing’s is true top-line
sales growth and bottom-line profits that continue to propel Wawa’s success is driving change at the
customer focused brand.
Wawa
Inc. is again expanding its drive-thru store format to Florida with the opening
of a new location in Largo. That city recently issued a development order
authorizing the redevelopment of the property at 2530 East Bay Drive. In a odd
twist of fate site previously housed a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant (Early
Grocerant retailer that somehow lost is its footing within the niche).
This
new Drive-thru Wawa will be,
2,036-square-foot convenience store will be constructed following the
demolition of the existing, vacant building, according to the development
order.
In
case you did not know or are not a regular reader of this blog, Wawa's first standalone drive-thru store
opened its doors more than two years ago in Morrisville, Pa. The concept offers
drive-thru service and curbside pickup only, and can serve 12 cars at a time
from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It was designed to offer extra convenience and focuses
on fresh food while retaining key Wawa design elements such as its trademarked
canopy, according to the company.
The
fresh food fast expansion of Wawa's drive-thru store format comes as the
convenience store retailer also expands to new markets. In recent months, Wawa
broke ground on its first stores in Alabama and North Carolina. Additionally,
earlier this year Wawa announced plans for its first stores in Ohio
and Indiana,
and shared plans to grow its network
in the Southeast as part of the company's efforts to its double
footprint within the next decade.
The
official opening date for Largo's drive-thru Wawa will be announced at a future
date. The store is expected to cater to both busy commuters and customers who
want a convenient foodservice experience while on the go. Drive-thru’s are not
a new ideation they are however where more meals are served daily than any
other single format.
Don’t over reach. Are you ready for some fresh ideations?
Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow?
Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform
for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation
and individualization? Email us
at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by
clicking the following links: Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter
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