Mike Murphy and his son Matt greeted customers at the Fairfield, N.J. store.

Those running out to their local QuickChek on Christmas this year in Fairfield, N.J., could find QuickChek Senior Vice President Mike Murphy, who worked Christmas Day for the 41st consecutive year, serving up fresh coffee.

“If I’m going to have people work that day, then I’ve always felt I should be there, too,” said Murphy, a Wayne resident who is based out of the fresh convenience market chain’s support center in Whitehouse Station, N.J. “I work in different stores every year doing what I can to help out.”

Murphy worked in the company’s Fairfield store at 384 Passaic Avenue from 6:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, serving up what consumers have voted the best coffee in America including the company’s hugely popular “Kris Kringle” flavored coffee. He also cleaned the store and mopped up after a customer coffee spill.

“Whatever the store leader needs me to do, I’ll do,” said Murphy. His boss that morning: his son Matt.

“He wants me because I’m free help for the day,” said the elder Murphy with a laugh.

Like most of the company’s vice presidents and all of its district leaders, Murphy began his career working in a local store. He noted that the first thing consumers want on Christmas is their morning coffee. Next? More batteries. Over the past few years he has seen an increase in the sales of QuickChek’s signature bakery products from their in-store ovens, freshly-made breakfast sandwiches to go and handcrafted drinks.

“We have customers who come into stores in their pajamas, which is fitting as we’ve been their neighborhood shopping destination all year long,” added Murphy.

Among the convenience items that customers come to QuickChek for that they may not be able to get elsewhere on Christmas Day is gasoline, a must for those who need to fill up during their holiday travels.

“Our company has been built on Total Customer Dedication, its something we live 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Murphy, noting it is one of the major reasons QuickChek was named the Convenience Store Decisions’ 2016 Convenience Store Chain of the Year. “It’s the nature of the times we live in. Customer lifestyles change. We have to be there to meet their needs.”

A leader in the fresh convenience industry with an exceptional fresh food and coffee program, QuickChek operates 147 locations throughout New Jersey, New York’s Hudson Valley and Long Island, including 10 pharmacy stores and 61 locations with fuel. Most stores were open Christmas Eve until 10:30 p.m. and then re-opened Christmas Day from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. All 61 locations, which serve fuel, including Fairfield, will stay open 24 hours.

Most of the company’s team members’ shifts were limited to four hours on Christmas with those working receiving additional pay. Except for the guy in the Santa hat serving coffee in the morning in Fairfield.