Wawa's Store No. 1 Does Its Last Day of Business

FOLSOM, Pa. — Wawa Inc. will officially relocate its original Store #1 on June 17, according to a Metro report. At 8 a.m., the original store, located at 1212 MacDade Blvd. in Folsom, will formally close its doors as the new superstore Wawa, located at the intersection of McDade and Kendron Avenue, opens for the first time.

The original Wawa first opened on April 16, 1964. After the convenience store chain announced plans to move the store, some loyal customers shared an open letter asking Wawa to reconsider the move, as CSNews Online previously reported.

"The new store will also feature Wawa's new, state-of-the-art store design as well as a number of historical tributes to the original Store #1, a photo timeline, and digital tributes looking back on significant Wawa events and a selfie station/marker made of a replica of the original Store #1 pole sign," the company said in a statement.

All associates at the original Store #1 will move to the new location.

Wawa will celebrate the move with a parade featuring the company's 1918 antique milk truck, local mascots and a band. After ceremonially closing the original store, the parade will continue half a mile down Second Avenue to the new location for a series of special events.

The Ridley Township Police Department and the Folsom Fire Co. will participate in a hoagie-building competition as part of Wawa's charitable Hoagies for Heroes contests, according to the report. Police officers will compete for a grant for the Anne E. Howanski Memorial Scholarship Fund, while the fire company will compete for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Pediatric Cancer Center.

Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony and deliver opening remarks. Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders, a member of the football team and minor league baseball mascots will be on hand to sign autographs.

The parade begins at 7 a.m., followed by Gheysen's speech at 8 a.m. and the hoagie-building contest and autograph session from 10 to 11 a.m.

Wawa operates more than 700 stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.