Wawa officials are considering dropping Philadelphia from their expansion plans following the ransacking of a store in Mayfair, according to City Councilmember Mike Driscoll, the Philadelphia Business Journal reports.
Driscoll, a Democrat representing the 6th District in Northeast Philadelphia, which encompasses Mayfair, made the comments at a town hall-style forum hosted by the Philadelphia Real Estate Alliance on Tuesday to address issues currently facing the city. Driscoll was joined by fellow councilmembers Mark Squilla, who represents the city's 1st District, and at-large Councilmember Isaiah Thomas. Center City District President Paul Levy also spoke.
The panelists stressed that Philadelphia's gun violence crisis, high taxes and procedural red tape are challenges that need to be addressed to attract more businesses and workers to the city.
Wawa, the Delaware County-based convenience chain with a cult following, closed a pair of stores in the city late last year — one at 9th and South streets and another at 13th and Chestnut streets. Those closures followed the August 2020 shuttering of Wawa's landmark South Broad Street location, which had previously reduced its hours of operation following several incidents at the store — including a stabbing in June 2018.
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In September, several Wawa stores in Center City closed early when groups of young people ransacked convenience stores in the area. The ransacking of the Mayfair location at Roosevelt Boulevard and Tyson Avenue on Sept. 24 was the most recent incident for Wawa, with about 100 young people swarming the store.
Driscoll said he met with Wawa officials the following day.
Business
Wawa spokeswoman Lori Bruce, in an email response to a request for comment from PBJ, declined to provide specifics of the company's plans in the city.
Continue reading about Wawa considering halting expansion in Philly at PBJ.com.
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