Wawa Inc. has announced the grand opening of its 1,000th store, located at 1006 White Horse Pike in Oaklyn, N.J. On Thursday, April 27, at 8 a.m., Wawa officially opened the store’s doors and distributed 1,000 keepsake t-shirts for the first 1,000 customers as supplies lasted. A ribbon-cutting ceremony followed at 9 a.m. that featured customers, Wawa associates, state and local officials, charity partners and special guests, as well as giveaways, free coffee, fanfare and much more.
With origins that stretch back more than 200 years to its early days as an iron foundry in New Jersey, Wawa celebrated its 1,000th-store milestone in the backyard of where it all began. It was in April of 1964 that Wawa entered the retail business with the opening of its first store in Delaware County, Pa. Now, 59 years, six states (and counting), 45,000 associates and 1,000 stores later, Wawa continues to live by its original core purpose to fulfill lives every day. With the opening of this newest store in Oaklyn, N.J., Wawa is continuing its goal to create meaningful personal connections and make a real difference in the lives of customers, communities and each other every day.
“Since well before we opened our first store more than 59 years ago, Wawa has always been closely connected to the communities we serve — constantly ensuring we’re a good neighbor who provides much more than products and service. It’s so appropriate that we are reaching our 1,000th-store milestone in New Jersey, where we have such a deep history with our origins as a family business and roots dating back more than 200 years,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s CEO. “As we mark our sustained growth, we want to thank all our amazing customers and associates for getting us to where we are today. None of this would be possible without them. Here’s to 1,000 and beyond.”
Jennifer Low serves as general manager of the new Wawa store, leading a team of approximately 50 associates, all of which are new positions brought to the area through the development of the store. Associates in these full- and part-time positions will receive competitive salaries, health benefits when eligible and participate in Wawa’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Wawa associates own 39% of Wawa through the ESOP.
The store is fully equipped with a built-to-order, fresh-food kitchen featuring its signature hoagies (80 million hoagies sold annually) and newest food innovations such as burgers; Wawa coffee (195 million cups sold annually); the Sizzli, Wawa’s hot breakfast sandwich; Wawa’s new line of specialty beverages (hot, cold, iced and frozen); the Wawa Bakery; and Wawa’s beverage line of dairy products, juices and teas, plus packaged goods and fuel services, among other amenities. In addition to the store-level experience, customers can access their Wawa favorites through mobile ordering, curbside pickup, delivery options and its newest catering online offering, where customers can order their favorite Wawa foods for upcoming events.
Wawa Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Today, Wawa is an all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. with nearly 1,000 locations to date. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies; freshly brewed coffee; hot breakfast sandwiches; hand-crafted specialty beverages; a dinner menu including burgers; and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.