Wawa announced the opening of its 900th store, located at 685 Morris Turnpike, Springfield, N.J. Wawa’s newest store will provide customers with access to necessary supplies, fuel and support during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.
“At Wawa, our core purpose is to go beyond filling orders to fulfill lives, every day, and that has never been stronger than now as our 900 stores unite together to provide support in the form of food, fuel, food donations, funds and the one-of-a-kind Wawa experience that delivers care and hope no matter the circumstances,” said Chris Gheysens, president and CEO, Wawa. “As a new store opens, we will continue to provide comfort and a sense of normalcy in the safest way possible, while listening to what our friends and neighbors need most throughout these challenging times.”
On June 18, the new store opened to the public at 8 a.m. with an official ribbon-cutting outside of the store with associates standings feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
The store will employ approximately 40 associates and provide with competitive pay, benefits and an opportunity to stock through the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) after completing one year of service. Led by Wawa General Manager, Jenny Toledo and Area Manager Dan Holland, the team is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe environment while working to meet the needs of customers.
About Wawa’s Virtual Grand Opening:
- Springfield Mayor Chris Capodice welcomed Wawa to the neighborhood by personally congratulating the team and building the first ceremonial hoagie.
- Wawa launched its Lending a Helping Hoagie initiative which will donate $1,000 from the new store’s first week of sales to Community Food Bank of New Jersey to relieve hunger in the immediate area, demonstrating its commitment to serving others in need.
- In recognition of Healthcare Heroes, The Wawa Foundation presented the Local Hero Award with a $1,000 contribution to Overlook Medical center, part of Atlantic Health System to express our gratitude to their commitment to serving its community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Wawa acknowledged local community first responders from Springfield Police Department and Springfield Fire Department including donations to local charities serving the community.
- The first-ever social distancing ribbon-cutting took place, with store associates standing six feet apart in front of the new store to signify the official start of serving the community.
Customers are encouraged to watch the opening day video posted on Facebook and are invited to share what they’re most excited about for a chance to win limited-edition Wawa Springfield, N.J., t-shirts.
Wawa Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Today, stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.
Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Wawa stayed focused on serving as an essential provider as safely as possible. During that time, Wawa made several key changes to ensure it has the safest, most convenient store environment. The changes include launch of The Wawa Clean Force, a dedicated and trained sanitizing swat team working at each store every day with one job: keeping Wawa stores clean, sanitized and safe. Additional protections and policies include masks and gloves for all associates; clear plastic safety guards at check out and food-service counters; even more frequent hand washing standards; and wellness temperature checks for associates before each shift. For customers, social distancing with friendly visual markers and more hand-sanitizer stations have been added in common areas.
