Dive Brief:
- Wawa has officially added pizza to its dinner menu after “years” spent working on the recipe, according to a Tuesday announcement.
- The convenience retailer added pizza to select stores in early June, and as of last week, has debuted the option in more than 900 locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Florida.
- By getting into pizza, Wawa is varying its foodservice program, which has become popular over the years for its Hoagie sandwiches, cheesesteaks and other made-to-order options.
Dive Insight:
Midwest retailer Casey’s General Stores has long been the c-store chain synonymous with pizza, but Wawa’s latest move finds the East coast chain fighting for that title.
Wawa’s pizza is made with fresh dough, the retailer’s proprietary pizza sauce, whole milk mozzarella cheese and other ingredients. It comes in several varieties, including plain, pepperoni, sausage, mushroom and veggie. More are expected to arrive down the road, the company said.
Customers can get pies in either 14- or 16-inch sizes, and order them via Wawa’s in-store touchscreens or through its mobile app. Most Wawa locations have full-size pizzas, but a select number of locations only have personal-size options, according to the announcement.
Wawa’s pizza will be available from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. in stores that are open 24 hours. Prices start at $12.99 per pie.
“Pizza is one of the most beloved foods in America, so we couldn’t be more excited to make it a part of Wawa’s fast-casual-to-go offering and create a restaurant-like experience with our high-quality ingredients, great value, and the convenience we’re known for,” Mary-Rose Hannum, vice president of fresh food and beverages for Wawa, said in the announcement.
Wawa operates more than 1,000 stores across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The retailer currently has plans to increase its footprint from seven to 14 states and surpass 1,800 locations by 2030.
