Wawa Plans To Put First Drive-Thru Store In Falls

LEVITTOWN, PA — A plan to build a freestanding drive-thru-only Wawa in Falls would make it the first of its kind, offering all the convenience of a store without the need — or opportunity — for customers to do their shopping indoors.

The development, which was announced Wednesday, would see construction begin in August and aim for an opening day before year's end. The drive-thru will be located at the intersection of West Trenton and Pine Grove roads in Falls.

In a news release announcing the project, Terri Micklin, Wawa's director of construction, said that the new format is part the company's efforts to experiment with "alternatives" to its traditional store models.

The variable, of course, is the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and what it means for the future of the way businesses and customers interact.

Once the Falls drive-thru is open, “We are hoping to learn from the layout, workflow and traffic flow at this location," Micklin said in the statement. "We continue to explore alternatives for longer term application to our stores post-COVID-19."

In an email, Wawa spokeswoman Jennifer Wolf clarified that the drive-thru-only concept "was already in the works" internally before the outbreak, but added that the initiative to construct the drive-thru in Falls "been accelerated or re-prioritized due to our ongoing efforts to improve customer experience and meet new customer expectations."

Wawa selected Falls to pioneer its drive-thru concept after evaluating more than 50 potential locations, the Bucks County Courier Times reported.