Two More Wawa Stores In Center City Philadelphia Are Closing, Citing Safety Concerns

Philadelphia’s most iconic convenience store chain, Wawa, is closing two more stores in the city that it calls home.

The stores, which are located at 12th and Market and 19th and Market, in Center City Philadelphia will be permanently closing this fall, the company announced on Thursday.

In recent years, Wawa has closed (or altered the hours of) several stores in Philadelphia, citing safety concerns for staffers and customers. Both of these soon-to-be shuttered stores were closed by midnight daily due to those security threats.

"Despite reducing hours and investing in additional operational measures, continued safety and security challenges and business factors have made it increasingly difficult to remain open in these two locations," the company said in a statement issued to the media.

Wawa says they will continue to be focused on doing everything they can to monitor and work with local authorities, as they address the challenges impacting operations in the company's stores.

In spite of those efforts, Wawa stores across the city have reported serious issues in recent months.

On September 24th, a chaotic video from a Wawa in Northeast Philadelphia went viral as the store was ransacked by hundreds of young people. That's just one of several incidents this fall that have been reported.

Wawa Has Already Closed A Handful of Stores in Philadelphia

The two market street Wawa stores join a growing list of Wawa locations that have closed in recent years (for similar concerns).

Wawa closed a store at 13th and Chestnut last December, and back in 2020, they even closed their flagship store located at the interaction of Broad and Walnut.

Earlier in the week, members of Philadelphia's city council told the media that Wawa was considering halting new store openings in Philly as crime and lawlessness grow in the city.

Northeast Philadelphia that Wawa officials were considering halting new store openings in Philadelphia amid rising crime and lawlessness in the city,

"These two closures do not necessarily impact or limit the potential for future stores in Philadelphia County," Wawa's spokesperson said in a statement.