Wawa Gets Pumped Up Over 400th Fuel Store
FREDERICK, Md. — Wawa Inc. already reached a milestone this year with the celebration of its 50th anniversary and now the retailer has reached another with the opening of its 400th store offering fuel.
The new c-store at 5440 Urbana Pike in Frederick is also the first Wawa to open in Maryland this year. To mark the two achievements, the retailer awarded the first 400 fuel customers at the location's grand opening on Friday a $10 Wawa gift card.
"In 2014, we made a vow to expand the Wawa experience to more customers than ever before, and today we're taking that commitment to the next level, not only with our new Frederick store, but with our 400th fuel location," said Chris Gheysens, Wawa's President and CEO. "When we opened our first fuel location, it was because we wanted to provide our customers with the best fuel quality and prices possible — so that they could fuel up fairly every time. And today, we're continuing that same commitment and striving to not only serve, but fulfill our customers' lives every day right here in Frederick."
Gheysens comments came at last week's festivities, which featured local officials; members of the Frederick County Sheriff's Department and the Westview Fire Company; Wawa Director of Store Operations Kathy Monzo; Wawa Area Manager Staci Coulbourn; Wawa General Manager Kate Bockius; Wawa associates and customers.
The Frederick store marks its 400th fuel location across six states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
While Wawa is now known for its fuel offer, it is a fairly recent addition to the chain's history. The company, which began as an iron factory in New Jersey in 1803 and became a dairy in 1902, opened its first Wawa store in April 1964. Wawa opened its first gas store in Millsboro, Del., in 1996.
Of its 400 gas stores, 250 offer diesel fuel. The Wawa, Pa.-based retailer operates more than 650 c-stores across the six states.
"2014 is a milestone year for us at Wawa as we open 45 new stores — including our 400th fuel store — celebrate our 50th anniversary in retail, and extend our commitment to fulfilling lives in more ways than ever before," Gheysens said.