Wawa Introduces Espresso Drinks To Stores

Wawa might not be a name known to those outside the Mid-Atlantic, but with a move to Florida on the horizon, they're looking to change that. What better way to do that than with coffee? The convenience store currently offers coffee in a variety of different beans and flavors, but they're looking to expand into espresso beverages as well.

The company previously had an ill-fated attempt to introduce espresso-based drinks to their stores nearly 20 years ago. They brought the program into a dozen locations, only to pull it out after a short time. As CEO Howard Stoeckel told CSP Daily News, "At that point, we were ahead of our time, and we had not reached the level of consumer perception in foodservice and beverages we needed to have to aggressively compete in that business." Now, with the rise of casual stores serving espresso drinks, such as Dunkin' Donuts, the Wawa hopes to become one of the premier espresso retailers in the Mid-Atlantic region and Florida.

This announcement comes after the success of their smoothie program, which was introduced just over a year ago. With Wawa's expanding food range and popular drinks, customers are beginning to trust the gas station convenience store's quality.  Wawa is hoping that their newfound status as quality "casual food to-go" will be enough for people to trust them with the delicate business of their morning cappuccino.  Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks might have to watch out.

(Photo WAWA COFFEE AT SOUTH STREET Modified: Flickr/angelo Yap/CC 4.0)