How Much Does It Cost to Open a Wawa Franchise?

Wawa is a privately held chain of convenience stores and gas stations in the eastern United States, with over 850 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and Washington, D.C.[1] The company's name comes from the Lenape word wawa, meaning goose.[2][3]

Wawa Inc. began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. The company expanded into Pennsylvania in 1902 with a dairy farm in Wawa, Chester Heights, near Philadelphia.[4] In 1964, Grahame Wood, the current owner's grandfather, bought a struggling dairy company called Wawa Dairy and turned it into a successful independent milk producer and distributor. Wawa Dairy eventually began selling milk in glass bottles embossed with the Wawa name. The dairy also operated a small chain of dairy stores called Wawa Food Markets.

In the 1970s, the Wood family expanded the Wawa convenience store chain beyond Pennsylvania into New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. The first Wawa store in Virginia opened in 1992. The first Wawa in Florida opened in 2001. Wawa opened its first store in Washington, D.C. in May 2019.[5][6]

The average cost to open a Wawa franchise is between $1.3 million and $6.5 million. Wawa requires that franchisees have a minimum net worth of $5 million and liquid assets of at least $2 million. Franchisees must also be able to pay a $500,000 franchise fee and a $75,000 development fee.

It costs approximately $3 million to open a Wawa franchise in Delaware. The company requires that potential franchisees have a net worth of at least $5 million and liquid assets of at least $2 million. In addition to the initial investment, franchisees must also pay a $500,000 initial franchise fee and a 5% royalty fee on sales.

It costs a minimum of $1.5 million to open a Wawa franchise in Maryland. This cost includes the purchase or lease of a retail site, construction costs, equipment and signage, initial inventory, and working capital. Wawa does not charge a franchising fee. The company estimates that it will take 18 to 24 months to open a new store, from the time a site is selected until the store is operational.

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It costs between $2.5 million and $5 million to open a Wawa franchise in Florida. This includes the cost of real estate, construction, equipment, and other start-up costs. Wawa does not charge a franchise fee, but there is a royalty fee of 4% of gross sales. Wawa also offers a financing program for qualified franchisees.

It costs approximately $3 million to open a Wawa franchise in Georgia. This includes the cost of real estate, construction, equipment, and initial inventory. Wawa does not charge a franchise fee, but there is a percentage of gross sales that must be paid monthly in royalties. Wawa also offers a leasing program for store equipment and fixtures.