Drive-thru Wawa construction begins in Bucks County

FALLS TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Getting that morning cup of coffee is about to get a little easier in Bucks County.

Wawa is breaking ground Tuesday on its first-ever freestanding drive thru-only location in Falls Township.

The convenience store operator is testing a new store format as people look for contactless ways to shop during the pandemic.

Wawa said the 1,850 square foot store is expected to open in December at the corner of West Trenton Avenue and Pine Grove Road.

It's one of two drive-thru locations planned this year. The other one will be in Westhampton, New Jersey.

At the Falls Township store, shoppers will pull up to a drive-thru window to place their order and a Wawa employee will process payment and hand over their items, the company said.

If the drive-thru line gets too long, or if someone has a large order, customers will be directed to curbside parking where the order is brought out to the car.

Wawa, which operates 900 stores nationwide, said the idea for the drive-thru store was already in the works before the coronavirus outbreak, but it accelerated plans to test the concept as the virus continued to spread in the United States.

In June, the company also launched curbside pickup at select locations and has expanded home delivery to most of its markets.

Customers would order at the window and an employee would then walk out to their car and deliver the items.

Wawa plans to expand the drive-thru concept to other locations if it is successful.

"We are hoping to learn from the layout, workflow and traffic flow at this location, as we continue to explore alternatives for longer-term application to our stores post-COVID-19," Terri Micklin, director of construction with Wawa, said in a statement.