Wawa is expanding to a new part of Manatee. Here’s where next gas station is planned
Palmetto is getting its first Wawa gas station, according to Manatee County planning records.
The new Wawa is planned for 4845 Moccasin Wallow Road, Palmetto, on the corner of 49th Avenue East — just west of Interstate 75.
Wawa’s custom-made hoagies, coffee options and competitive gas prices have won the chain a loyal fanbase. The company was popularized in the northeast before becoming a staple in Manatee County in 2014.
A construction timeline has not been announced for the Moccasin Wallow location.
The gas station will cover about 2 acres on vacant land owned by Kansas-based company Plaza Street Fund 152 LLC, according to county records. It marks the second proposed store north of the Manatee River.
Wawa continues Manatee County expansion
In September, building records showed a Wawa planned for the south corner of the intersection at U.S. 301 and Fort Hamer Road with construction scheduled to finish in May 2026.
There are 13 Wawa stores in Manatee and Sarasota counties, according to the company’s locator map.
Wawa was founded in 1803 as an iron foundry, which is a factory that produces metal castings, in New Jersey, according to company history. George Wood, a New Jersey businessman, relocated to Pennsylvania to start a dairy farm toward the end of the 1800s. Then in 1964, Wood’s grandson Grahame opened the first Wawa Food Market. Since then, the company has grown to more than 1,000 stores.
Florida now boasts the highest number of Wawa stores of any state, according to data website ScrapeHero.
