Happy Wawa Day! Wawa Marks 59th Anniversary with Free, Any-Size Hot Coffee on April 13

To Mark Chainwide Celebration, Wawa Releases “Day Brightener” Videos Highlighting Special Associate-Customer Relationship and Makes Donation to Children’s Miracle Network


WAWA, Pa., April 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wawa, Inc., today announced that its annual Wawa Day tradition is back and brighter than ever! On April 13, in honor of Wawa’s 59th anniversary in retail, the company will celebrate the occasion by offering customers FREE hot coffee of any size, chainwide, all day! Throughout the day, Wawa expects to give away close to 2 million free cups of any-size coffee to customers at its nearly 1,000 stores.

In April 1964, Wawa entered the retail business by opening its first store in Folsom, PA. Now on the verge of opening its 1,000th store later this month, Wawa is celebrating 59 years in retail by thanking communities with free coffee and sharing stories of the special connections between associates and customers that have been happening for nearly six decades.

“When Wawa opened its doors on April 16, 1964, our founder, Grahame Wood, imagined a place that would provide trusted quality products, convenience and care to local friends and neighbors. Now 59 years later, Wawa associates are proud to carry out this vision by being ‘Day Brighteners’ in their communities each and every day,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa Chief Executive Officer. “On April 13, we invite our customers to celebrate our rich history, growth and unwavering commitment to fulfilling lives, and we hope the stories we share put a smile on faces and inspire others to brighten days in their community.”

In addition to offering free coffee, Wawa Day will celebrate the connection between Wawa’s customers, associates and communities in the following ways:

  • “Day Brightener” Videos & Children’s Miracle Network Donation
    Following a chainwide call for submissions, Wawa will release 10 videos depicting inspiring stories of kindness and celebrating the special connection between the company’s associates and customers. In honor of the hundreds of submissions received, Wawa will donate $50,000 to its community partner, Children’s Miracle Network. View the 10 “Day Brightener” videos here: www.wawa.com/daybrighteners
  • Customer “Day Brighteners”
    All 990+ stores across Wawa’s chain will select a "Day Brightening” customer that is near and dear to the store team and present them with a special Day Brightener sash, mug and a week’s worth of coffee.

About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #24 of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2022 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.

CONTACT: public.relations@wawa.com