Hoagies with beer possible at Wawa

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on August 5, 2015

For people who like a cold brew with a hoagie, a one-stop shop is just down the road. Concord Township supervisors approved beer sales for the Wawa at Route 202 at Naaman’s Creek Road.

Supervisors held a conditional use hearing on the matter in June. The decision came during the Aug. 4 Board of Supervisors’ meeting. The board also approved an inter-municipal liquor license from Folcroft Borough to Concord Township for Wawa.

The decision came with 21 conditions. Among those conditions is that Wawa make a contribution of $15,000 for traffic and pedestrian improvements on the Route 202 corridor or project vicinity to be used at the discretion of the township to improve pedestrian and traffic mobility.

Wawa must also abide by all Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board regulations, maintain an internal separation between the main store and the 400 square foot café area where the beer will be sold and any beer consumed on site must be within that area. Onsite consumption is limited to one beer per customer per day. Take out beer is limited to 192 ounces, or two six packs of 16-ounce cans.

Beer sales in the café area are limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sundays through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturday. The beer cooler will be locked during other hours.

No live entertainment, indoor or outdoor, is permitted, and employees must take part in the PLCB-approved Responsible Alcohol Management Training program.

The approval is for beer only. Should Wawa want to add wine or spirits to its product, it must go back for another conditional use hearing.

Concord supervisors previously granted similar approval to Whole Foods, Wegmans and the Acme.

The Naaman’s Creek Road Wawa is the first Wawa in Pennsylvania to get such approval. The company — recently named the best convenient store chain in the county —has 690 locations in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. It sells beer and wine in the latter two states.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.