On Wednesday, April 16, Wawa will giving away coffee of all sizes, all day in celebration of the convenience stores’ 50 years in business.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Wawa announced the news recently and said the giveaway is happening at all 640 stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.
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“On the occasion of our 50th, we wanted to raise our cups to our customers and say ‘thanks a million,’ by giving away more than a million cups of their everyday-starter,” Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s president and CEO, said in a statement “At Wawa our coffee is one of most beloved and popular products, and this giveaway is one small way we can recognize our customers for all they have done to help us reach this incredible milestone.”
Wawa’s popular coffee is a private-label blend only available through the chain. In the past 14 years, Wawa has served more than 1 billion cups of steaming hot coffee, which makes it the eighth largest coffee seller in the nation.
The company provided the follow history of its coffee:
In 1975, freshly brewed coffee became available in Wawa stores because store managers wanted to save time for busy customers. When coffee was first introduced, “pour over” pots were used. Stores soon had pots of water lined up in the morning rush to accommodate customers. In 1978, the coffee program “perked up” with the introduction of the five-burner “Bun-o-Matic.” This new system accessed filtered water directly and managers were able to make coffee with the flick of a switch.
In the 1990s, we remodeled and expanded the coffee area to separate the brewing from the customer area. The addition of the 20-ounce cup, and later the Big 24, fueled Wawa’s coffee program. In 2010, Wawa embarked on a chain-wide coffee make-over, completing transforming the coffee areas in all stores with new graphics, new designs, and energy-efficient thermals to replace glass pots. In 2012, Wawa stores began offering a full-service specialty beverage area where, via touch screens, customers can order 20 hand-made varieties of lattes, hot chocolates and more.
“Our coffee, just like associates and customers, has a unique an inspiring history,” said Gheysens. “Our 50th anniversary gives a chance to reflect on the entrepreneurial spirit of our first store managers who helped make coffee a critical part of our offer, and celebrate how we have all turned a hot beverage into a way of life.”
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The company started in New Jersey as an iron foundry in 1803 and later moved to dairy farming in 1902. The dairy farm was located in Wawa, Chester County and grew into the very first Wawa Food Market in 1962.
