Wawa is closing two Center City stores, citing “continued safety and security challenges and business factors.”

The Delaware County-based company will shutter its stores at 12th and Market streets and 19th and Market streets over the next few weeks. The announcement comes a day after the Business Journal reported that Wawa is “seriously considering” taking Philadelphia out of its expansion plans due to increased crime in the city that has resulted in several incidents at its stores. 

In September, several Wawa locations in Center City closed early when groups of young people ransacked convenience stores in the area. The ransacking of a Mayfair store at Roosevelt Boulevard and Tyson Avenue on Sept. 24 was the most recent incident for Wawa, with about 100 young people swarming the store.

The two Market Street stores have reduced their hours of operation and invested in additional security, Wawa said, but the company ultimately decided it wasn’t enough. Wawa said the closures “do not necessarily impact or limit potential for future stores in Philadelphia County.”

*Article courtesy of Philadelphia Business Journal

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