Wawa’s surprising New Jersey origins

For decades, Wawa has been a beloved institution in South Jersey. Over the past decade and a half, they have spread further north into central and northern New Jersey. Making it a Jersey tradition to stop at an occasional Wawa on the road.

When you ask young people who've moved away what they miss most about being in Jersey, a lot of times they’ll say “Wawa“!

Wawa has also moved further south into Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, and even Florida. They've now gone as far west as Ohio. Along with their tasty menu, they've become a frequent stop for gas for a lot of us.

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And of course, in New Jersey, since we can’t pump around gas, the people they hire at Wawa to do it are always polite, friendly, and efficient.

People who know a little bit about Wawa know that it has its origins in the Philly area. Yes, it’s true, but they started as a dairy in suburban Pennsylvania, not too far outside of Philadelphia. From a dairy farm in Delaware County, in the town of Chester Heights.

After the business climate changed from home milk delivery, they started selling milk and other goods in their original store in Delaware County in 1964 in Folsom, Pa.

From there, they spread throughout the Philadelphia area and then across the river into South Jersey. And that’s where the story comes full circle. The original dairy farmer who imported dairy cows from England to start a dairy farm in Pennsylvania was originally from New Jersey.

He was a business entrepreneur named George Wood. Mr. Wood moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania and his Pennsylvania farm in 1890. The Wood family is still the majority owner of the business, with the remainder employee-owned.

So, although the story of Wawa began in Pennsylvania, as with many great things, if you trace their origin back far enough, you’ll probably find a Jersey connection.

And there you have it, although Wawa was started in Pennsylvania but it’s founder came from New Jersey! Now you know.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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