Wawa’s next Philly location will be its biggest in the world

Wawa has long been a beloved staple in the city of Philadelphia, even as the chain expanded down south to open locations in Virginia and Florida.

But now, Wawa is coming home to Pennsylvania to open its biggest store yet—an 11,300-square-foot space in the Public Ledger Building at 6th and Chestnut.

Philadelphians have known about the company’s plans to build their next store at the space in Independence Mall for months, but it wasn’t until last week that Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens announced that it would be the largest in the world—beating out a D.C. location by nearly 2,000 square feet, according to PhillyMag.

Along with the size of the new space, Wawa revealed some plans about the store’s interior design, saying that they want to mix industrial and art deco styles, and that they intend on including copper and vaulted ceilings inside.

They also said they would bring in interactive screens and an original art mural—an effort to pay homage to a city known for its art murals.

There’s a special, historical significance associated with Wawa’s plan as well. The Public Ledger Building was designed in 1923 by Horace Trumbauer, an architect known for designing grand buildings and estates in and around the city. and has been listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places.

Last year, Wawa announced plans to put a sign and marquee at the location along Chestnut Street, but it’s unclear whether the Philadelphia Historical Commission has given the company the go-ahead to make exterior changes. A spokesperson for Wawa did not return several messages for comment Friday and Monday

• Philly will soon be home to the world’s biggest Wawa [PhillyMag]
• 15 amazing new art murals you can check out now [Curbed Philly]
• Wawa plans next big location [Curbed Philly]