Wawa, the Delco-based chain of convenience stores that has become a staple in the lives of so many in Greater Philadelphia, continues to expand its empire, both at home and beyond.

More than 200 legacy stores are being remodeled at $1-1.5 million per store, while the state of Florida will be blessed with the opening of 50 stores this year.

With $9 billion in sales last year, Wawa now has 725 stores, writes Suzette Parmley for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to Parmley, the privately held company’s stock, 40 percent of which is owned by employees, continues to do well. And the first of 5,000 new hires began work this month. Most will be making sandwiches and drinks and baking fresh rolls.

“They are great merchants,” David Orkin, restaurant practice leader for the Americas for CBRE Inc. in Conshohocken, told Parmley. “They have made themselves convenient.

“The bathrooms are clean. They have plenty of people at the checkout aisle. If I want a salad, yogurt, or apple, I can get that. It’s a fresh, healthier alternative than hitting a drive-through.”

Wawa opened its first store in 1964, and it now dominates the Philadelphia market in coffee sales, selling more than 200 million cups a year. It also sells more than 80 million hoagies a year.

According to Parmley, Wawa operates stores in six states, five in the mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania (224), New Jersey (245), Delaware (42), Maryland (47), and Virginia (80). The company also operates in Florida.

Click here to read more about Wawa’s remodeling plans in the Philadelphia Inquirer.