WAWA, Pa. --Wawa Inc. is honoring its 52nd anniversary in retail, on the week of its founding in 1964, by holding “Wawa Day” on April 14. The convenience-store chain is celebrating the occasion by offering customers free coffee of any size all day and chainwide.
Throughout the day, Wawa expects to give away more than 1.7 million free cups of coffee to customers at its more than 720 c-stores across its six-state operating area.
In April 1964, Wawa entered the retail business and opened its first convenience store. In April 2014, Wawa celebrated its 50th anniversary in convenience retailing and marked the milestone with the launch of The Wawa Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded to encompass Wawa's charitable giving. Wawa and The Wawa Foundation are committed to donating $50 million to causes supporting “health, hunger and everyday heroes” by 2018. Wawa and The Wawa Foundation said that they made contributions in 2015 of than $12 million, and that they have made $22 million in contributions since the inception of The Wawa Foundation.
"During the anniversary week of our entrance into retail, Wawa Day provides us with a chance to connect with and honor the millions of customers who have been so integral to Wawa's growth over the past 52 years," said Chris Gheysens, Wawa's president and CEO. "At Wawa, we exist to go beyond filling customer orders to fulfilling the lives that we touch every day. Our core purpose is exemplified through the commitment of The Wawa Foundation to give back to the communities we serve, as well as through the dedication of our thousands of associates who make the Wawa experience so special. It's always meaningful to celebrate our customers, associates and communities with one of our most beloved Wawa products."
In addition to giving away more than 1.7 million free cups of any-size coffee, Wawa will be celebrating the millions of “magical moments” that happen at Wawa each day with in-store digital tributes featuring photo montages to celebrate the unique relationship between Wawa associates and customers.
"That 1.7 million is a pretty big number, but the number we are most proud of is the millions of lives impacted through the charitable efforts of The Wawa Foundation," said Gheysens.
"Happy Wawa Day, everyone, we toast you all,” he said.
Wawa, a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming, and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, Pa., in 1902. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George's grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products.
A chain of more than 700 convenience stores (more than 435 offering gasoline), Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, built-to-order specialty beverages and soups, sides and snacks.
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