Eagles and Wawa are opening a popcorn facility in Center City
The popcorn facility will take over the shuttered Wawa on Ninth and South Streets, which closed in 2021.
A former Wawa on Ninth and South Streets, which closed in 2021, is set to become a Popcorn for the People production facility, as part of a new collaboration with the Eagles.
The transformation of the shuttered Wawa is the result of a partnership between Wawa, the Eagles Autism Foundation, and Popcorn for the People, a nonprofit founded in 2014 to employ people with autism and other developmental disabilities.
“We are thrilled to join hands with Popcorn for the People and the Eagles Autism Foundation to provide even more individuals with the chance to pursue a fulfilling career,” Dave Simonetti, senior director of store operations for Wawa, said in a news release.
The plans for the new store were unveiled Sunday at the Eagles open practice. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie also announced that the team would open a new Popcorn for the People concession stand at Lincoln Financial Field, where the team plays.
The Center City popcorn facility is expected to open by early 2024 and will initially employ 10 people and ramp up to over 50 by the end of the first year, according to Mark Katz, board chair of the nonprofit.
While the Center City location won’t be open to the public, it will produce popcorn that will be sold at some Wawas later this year. Popcorn flavors include butter, kettle, Chicago baked cheddar, caramel, and dark chocolate espresso.
Wawa has committed to providing building expenses and helping to redesign the former store into a Popcorn for the People facility. Nouryon, a chemicals business that has previously contributed to the Eagles Autism Foundation, has donated $500,000 to this project. The funds from Nouryon, along with money from the Eagles Autism Foundation, will go toward popcorn-making equipment.
Wawa has a history of employing people with disabilities through its Supported Employment Program, which employed about 500 people in 2019. According to Popcorn for the People, 82% of people with disabilities were unemployed in 2022.
The news of the new popcorn facility comes as Wawa has closed several locations in Center City in the last few years. The South Street store transformation is just the latest for the company, which last week began experimenting with a shelf-free store at their Drexel University location, where customers can place orders on digital screens.