Wawa is moving ahead with plans to build another retro store in Wildwood, and this one will pay homage to the doo-wop architecture that became a motif of the barrier island's motels in the 1960s.
In March, Wildwood officials approved plans for the new store to replace a Rite Aid at 3400 New Jersey Ave. That building will be demolished and Wawa will move from a smaller, neighboring location into the newly constructed property. The existing Wawa does not have a gas station, but the new one will bring five fuel pumps to an area of Seven Mile Island that does not have any stations.
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During discussions with Wawa, city officials requested that the company incorporate doo-wop elements into the new store, the Cape May County Herald reported. Wawa has another store in Wildwood at 418 W. Rio Grande Ave. that stands out from other locations because of its one-of-a-kind retro signage and decor. It was built in the 2000s. The company also has an ordinary Wawa at 300 W. Spruce Ave. in North Wildwood.
Planning documents submitted to Wildwood include renderings of the new Wawa with a vintage design and signage.
A new Wawa comes to Wildwood, with gas pumps and Doo-wop influences. https://t.co/k3NqRDnAjy
— Cape May County News (@HeraldNews) April 15, 2025
The new Wawa will sit on a 1.4-acre lot and cover 6,372-square feet — much larger than the existing store on New Jersey Avenue. The property is expected to have 56 parking spaces.
The Wildwoods' doo-wop architecture was inspired by buildings in Miami and Las Vegas, destinations that officials hoped to emulate as tourism entered a boom period at the Jersey Shore in the 1960s. The style has been fading from the landscape in recent decades, and more than 100 motels in the doo-wop style have been torn down or renovated in Wildwood over the last 20 years.
Wildwood officials and Wawa have not shared a timeline for the new store to open.
