Orlando, FL (December 17, 2015) – Wawa, Inc. today announced the grand opening of two new Florida stores opening back-to-back:
- 1390 E Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
- 12083 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837
To celebrate this exciting double header grand opening event, Wawa will host back-to-back, in-store celebrations, each of which will include a ribbon cutting and charitable Hoagies For Heroes hoagie-building competition benefiting local charities identified by the local fire and police from each area. The stores will offer several grand opening specials including free coffee through December 27th, any size fountain drink for $0.89 and any Shorti hoagie variety for $2.99.
The grand opening of these stores marks the 46th and 47th Wawa stores to open in 2015. A third store will open in Brooksville, FL on the same day. Each of these three new stores will feature Wawa’s new store design prototype to bring the Wawa experience to more communities than ever before, opening 50 stores throughout its operating area, including 24 in the Mid-Atlantic market and 26 in the Florida market.
“We are thrilled to bring the Wawa experience to the residents of Orlando and Altamonte Springs, and we look forward to demonstrating our commitment to fulfilling lives with our fresh food and beverages and with meaningful connections with our new friends and neighbors,” said Chris Gheysens, Wawa President and CEO. “From building new connection points with Wawa Rewards to opening new stores in new communities, we’ve never been more committed to investing in our communities and fulfilling customers’ lives each and every day.”
About the Orlando Double Header Grand Opening Festivities
On Thursday, December 17, two new stores will open to the public at 8:00 a.m. with the grand opening ceremonies as follows:
- 1390 E Altamonte Drive, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701 at 10:00 AM
- 12083 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837 at 1:00 PM
Each event will include local officials and members of the community; members of the local police and fire departments; Wawa associates and customers; and Wawa’s mascot, Wally Goose, who will all join together for a ceremonial ribbon cutting and celebration of the many ways Wawa seeks to fulfill lives every day.
Hoagies for Heroes Competition
The grand opening events will conclude with a Hoagies for Heroes hoagie building competition, as the Seminole Couty Police and Fire Departments and the Orange County Police and Fire Departments face off in a battle of bravery, skill, and sandwich-making expertise. Each team will be challenged to see who can build the most hoagies in three minutes in the traditional Wawa way. Wawa will conclude the Hoagies for Heroes competitions by presenting checks on behalf of the winning and runner up teams for $1,000 to the charities of their choice.
About Wawa’s New Stores
Each store will have nearly 45 associates, all of which are new positions brought to the area through the development of the store. Associates in these full and part-time positions will not only receive competitive salaries and health benefits, but once eligible, will participate in Wawa’s employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Wawa Associates own more than 41% of Wawa through the ESOP. The new Wawa store will offer customers numerous Wawa brands, such as the award-winning Wawa coffee (195 million cups sold annually); the Sizzliä, Wawa’s hot breakfast sandwich; Wawa’s new line of specialty beverages (hot, cold, iced and frozen); Wawa Bakery; Wawa’s built-to-order hoagies (80 million sold annually); and Wawa’s beverage line of juices and teas.
