WAWA, PA--(Marketwired - Apr 13, 2016) - Wawa Inc. today announced that in honor of its 52nd anniversary in retail, on the week of its founding, this year Wawa Day will be held on April 14! Wawa will celebrate the occasion by offering customers free coffee of any-size, chain-wide, all day! Throughout the day, Wawa expects to give away more than 1.7 million free cups of any-size coffee to customers at its more than 720 stores across its six-state operating area.
In April of 1964, Wawa entered the retail business and opened its first convenience store. In April of 2014, Wawa celebrated its 50th anniversary in convenience retailing and marked the milestone with the launch of The Wawa Foundation, a 501c (3) non-profit 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 every day heroes by 2018. Wawa and The Wawa Foundation are pleased to announce that in 2015 contributions of over $12.0 million were made, and $22.0 million in contributions have been made since the inception of The Wawa Foundation. This year, Wawa's April 14th Wawa Day celebration gives the company the chance to toast the community, while celebrating its 52nd anniversary in retail and the second anniversary 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 for all customers chain-wide, 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.
"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!
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., 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. The milk business was a huge success due to its quality, cleanliness and "certified" process. 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. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for fresh, built-to-order foods, beverages, coffee, fuel, and surcharge-free ATMs. In July of 2015, Wawa was named "America's Most Beloved Convenience Store" by a Market Force study of 7,000 consumers, winning with the highest "composite loyalty score" of 68 percent, and taking first place in the fresh food category. A chain of more than 700 convenience retail stores (over 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 an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.
Contact Information:
CONTACT:
Wawa Public Relations
public.relations@wawa.com
