Wawa Welcomes Customers at Its 900th C-store

WAWA, Pa. — The coronavirus may have slowed down the economy, but it did not slow down new store openings.

Notably, Wawa Inc. reached a milestone when it cut the ribbon on its 900th convenience store on June 18. The store welcomed customers at 685 Morris Turnpike in Springfield, N.J.

"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 President and CEO Chris Gheysens.

"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," he added.

The new c-store opened to the public at 8 a.m. with an official ribbon cutting outside of the store with associates standing 6 feet apart to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The convenience retailer also celebrated the occasion by showcasing its community support through a virtual video experience shared through social media.

The video highlights included Springfield Mayor Chris Capodice welcoming Wawa; The Wawa Foundation's presentation of the Local Hero Award with a $1,000 contribution to Overlook Medical center, part of Atlantic Health System; and the convenience retailer's acknowledgement of local community first responders from Springfield Police Department and Springfield Fire Department, including donations to local charities serving the community.

Wawa also 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.

Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates 900 convenience stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.