Who’s Going To Do It Just A Little Bit Better Now?
Posted by Kirsten Henri on February 26th, 2008
There was a collective gasp of horror at Foobooz headquarters today as we realized that a rumor that the Dorkchester Wawa at 20th & Locust is closing appears to be true!
We’re awaiting confirmation from Wawa (UPDATE: Spokesperson Laurie Bruce confirmed it is closing at the end of the week), but the website lists the property as vacant and our tipsters tell us Friday is the last day. Is there a master plan to shrink the number of Wawas within city limits (in favor of those suburban super-Wawas that sell gasoline?) at work? The Chestnut Hill Wawa where we spent many a Friday night in our teen angst years has been replaced by a bank. The Wawa at 2nd and Christian recently closed. (UPDATE: Bruce says there is no such master plan, despite the burblings of PhillyBlog paranoics.)
WHY WAWA? WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US?
Did we take you for granted? Did we not visit you often enough? Did we not contribute enough of our hard-earned dollars to your coffers in exchange for alchohol-absorbing hoagies at 2am? Did we not partake of enough of your house brand milk and iced tea? Did we not tip the homeless doorman enough for allowing us to pass?
Shuttering of Wawas is grim news indeed. Does the city’s lack of a cohesive retail strategy–that same one that prevents us from having a decent department store–have anything to do with it? Paging Mayor Nutter!
Wawa [Official Site]
February 26th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I’ve heard through the grapevine at the Dorchester simply no longer wanted a “convenience” concept in the space. And as for Wawa, I feel like they’re looking to leave urban areas like ours in general. Suburban “Super” Wawas with parking and gas pumps are probably way more profitable. (See for reference the Wawa that used to be down on Moyamensing.)
February 26th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
It seems to me that Wawa is opting to go more toward their gigantic super-Wawas (the ones with the gas stations) and get away from the corner-store image. It sucks!
February 26th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I heard this via text this weekend from a distraught friend.
And the Wawa on Chestnut doesn’t have fountain sodas! What’s a girl with a hangover to do?
February 26th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
You all can stop with the conspiracy theories.
The Dorcester kicked them out, the lease was up. That WaWa made serious cash.
It’s getting retrofitted for an “upscale dining” space
February 27th, 2008 at 11:07 am
my sis in the burbs tells me the wooden wawa in chadds ford closed too.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I think I can deal. Even though it’s a little skeevy at times, there is a Wawa at 20th & Chestnut.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:21 am
The Dorchester did not kick them out. Wawa owns the space and has put it on the market.
http://wawa.com/realestate/real-propertyresults.asp
Property Details
The Dorchester
Address: Wawa # 237- The Dorchester
The Dorchester
Commerical Units 103 & 104
226 W. Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Zoning: R-16 Residential
Lot Size: Condominium
Building Size: 3896 +/- sq ft
Constructed: 1963
Utilities: Electric, Public Watert and Sewer
Real Estate Taxes: 5000.00
Sale Price: 2,100,000
Property Type: Vacant
Notes: Tax parcels are: 88 8 080966 88 8 080967
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wawa_Food_Markets