CHANTILLY, Va. --Wawa Inc. held grand openings on Dec. 18 for three new convenience stores in Virginia, celebrating its first-ever grand opening triple header in the state of Virginia and Wawa’s first location in Fairfax County.
The c-stores are in Chantilly, Hampton and Suffolk, Va.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this tremendous milestone in our Virginia expansion as we spread our wings to serve more customers and communities and fulfill more lives each day,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa’s president and CEO. “Opening our first Fairfax County location and new stores in Suffolk and Hampton is a significant step toward furthering our ability to invest in Virginia by building new stores and creating more jobs. We are honored and excited to be able to open three stores on the same day, and we welcome our new neighbors three times over.”
By the end of 2015, Wawa will have 79 stores in the Virginia market, eight of which will have opened in 2015. The company also opened new c-stores in Brooksville, Altamonte Springs and Orlando, Fla, on Dec. 17, prompting it to tout on social media “2015 has a very happy ending as we open 6 new stores in VA and FL over the next couple days. We hope you can celebrate with us.”
The chain opened its 700th convenience store in August. During 2015, Wawa will open 50 stores throughout its operating area, including 24 in the Mid-Atlantic market and 26 in the Florida market. In 2016, Wawa plans to open at least three more stores in the state of Virginia.
To celebrate the new Virginia stores, Wawa hosted three in-store celebrations, each of which included a ribbon cutting and charitable Hoagies for Heroes hoagie-building competition benefiting local charities identified by the local fire and police from each area.
As Wawa opens three stores in Virginia, the Wawa Foundation, Wawa’s non-profit foundation through which all charitable giving is funneled, will announce a donation of $30,000 to the Special Olympics, honoring Wawa’s long-standing partnership with the Special Olympics and the organization’s importance as national and regional partner.
At each event, representatives from the Special Olympics; regional police and firefighters; Wawa officials and associates, customers; and Wawa’s mascot, Wally Goose, joined in a ceremonial ribbon cutting at each of the locations.
All three new convenience stores will offer free coffee through Dec. 26.
Each new Wawa store will employ more than 30 associates, all of which are new positions brought to the area through the development of the stores. Associates in these full and part-time positions will receive competitive salaries and health benefits as well as the opportunity to enroll in Wawa’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
Wawa, a chain of more than 700 convenience stores (more than 440 offering gasoline), located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida, is based in Wawa, Pa. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies and specialty beverages, coffee, breakfast sandwiches and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.
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