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Cherry Hill’s Route 70 Wawa is closing after 50 years. Here’s why.

After fierce opposition, a proposed Wawa at Cherry Hill's Barclay shopping center was canceled. Now the Wawa it was supposed to replace is closing.

The "legacy" Wawa on Route 70 in Cherry Hill. The small-footprint store, without gas or public restrooms, is closing in October, nearly two years after a proposal to replace it with a Super Wawa across the street at the Barclay shopping center fell through after community opposition.
The "legacy" Wawa on Route 70 in Cherry Hill. The small-footprint store, without gas or public restrooms, is closing in October, nearly two years after a proposal to replace it with a Super Wawa across the street at the Barclay shopping center fell through after community opposition.Read moreTom Gralish / Staff Photographer

One of a dwindling number of “legacy” Wawas in South Jersey — smaller than the chain’s ”Super” stores, and without gas pumps — is set to close in early October in Cherry Hill.

Open for 51 years on westbound Route 70 near the Kingston neighborhood and the Barclay Towers condominiums, the store was earlier expected to be replaced by a Super Wawa at the Barclay shopping center on the opposite side of the highway.

Wawa is known for choosing locations carefully, and for being willing to adjust some design details during the local approval process. But after fierce community opposition, the developer of the project opted out in December 2022.

» READ MORE: Wawa’s Cherry Hill plans scrapped after community outcry

“After an extensive evaluation, Wawa has made the decision to permanently close our store located [on] Route 70 in Cherry Hill on Oct. 8,” the company said in a statement Wednesday.

“While this was a very difficult decision to make, we have determined that this store cannot deliver the experience customers deserve or continue to meet performance expectations.”

The statement added that while Wawa does attempt to renovate or relocate legacy stores, “it is just not feasible for us to do so” at or near the Route 70 location.

“Their [Wawa’s] decision to close the store was their own, knowing that several other Wawas are thriving in town,” said Mayor David Fleisher.

“Across Route 70, the revitalization of the Barclay shopping center, without a Wawa, is good for the neighbors and good for Cherry Hill,” he said.

John Ross, property manager at Barclay Towers, said he and many of the 500 residents there are Wawa regulars.

“Five of the people who live here work at the Wawa,” said Ross.

“I’ve been here for 34 years and I am really upset that it’s going to close,” he added.

“There’s nothing else around. Hopefully somebody will come in and open a 7-Eleven or something.”

» READ MORE: A second life for former Wawas

Some opponents of the scuttled Barclay Super Wawa said they too are sorry to hear that the legacy store will close, a story first reported by the 42Freeway website.

“I don’t think people realize how important that store is to residents of Kingston,” said Anne Einhorn, who has lived there for 41 years.

“Many of the senior citizens in the neighborhood and in the towers walk there to buy bread and milk and other basics,” she said. “There are people for whom it’s not easy to get to another store.”

Said Martha Wright, an organizer of the anti-super store “Preserve Barclay” movement: ”It’s unfortunate to see such an iconic meeting place in the community closed.

“Some may see this closure as progress but I see it as a shift [by Wawa] from a beloved, family owned and operated company to a corporate entity. ... The legacy Wawa and the friendly folks who work there will be much missed.”

In the statement, Wawa said that all of Barclay store’s employees “have been offered the opportunity to work at other Wawa stores.”

With the closure of the Route 70 site, there will be five Wawas in Cherry Hill.