Wawa is testing an all-digital convenience store on Drexel University’s campus in Philadelphia, writes Emma Dooling for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The Wawa location at 3300 Market Street in University City shut down for a six day-renovation before reopening on July 26.

At this particular store, there are no shelves of food. Instead, all items are purchased on the Wawa app or on in-store touch screens.  The orders are then filled by associates behind the counter.

Wawa said the new format at the remodeled store will let customers receive orders faster.

“We are always testing new formats to provide the greatest level of convenience for our customers, some of which include our drive-thrus, our fly-thru mobile order windows, and now a full-serve, digital experience format,” read a Wawa statement.

No jobs were affected by the digital conversion.

It did not indicate whether this approach will be used at other stores.

The Drexel University Wawa opened in September 2018.  At the time, Wawa described the 8.760-square-foot store as the “newest and largest urban design prototype in Philadelphia.”

It has indoor and outdoor seating, third-party delivery, and mobile ordering.

Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens said the University City location had been the highest food-service store prior to the pandemic.

Read more about Wawa’s experimental digital store in the Philadelphia Business Journal.