Fairfax Wawa will open its doors this week, bringing free coffee for all

Wawa will do its best Oprah impression tomorrow (Thursday) — only instead of giving away cars, it will serve up free coffee to all customers in Virginia.

The occasion prompting this caffeine-fueled largesse is the grand opening of Wawa’s first store in the City of Fairfax, the company’s 100th in the state.

Replacing the old Rodeway Inn, the new convenience store and gas station at 9700 Fairfax Blvd. will welcome its initial customers at 8 a.m. by handing out commemorative T-shirts to the first 100 people to walk through the door.

To mark the milestone opening, Wawa says all 100 of its stores in Virginia will provide free coffee of any size that day. At the Fairfax store, the coffee giveaway will continue through Sept. 11.

Here is more on what to expect from the grand opening from a press release:

Friends and neighbors are invited to count down the exciting moment to when the doors open for the very first time at 8:00 a.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:00 a.m., with Wawa mascot Wally Goose, oversized scissors, red ribbon, confetti and fanfare.

As part of the grand opening festivities, Wawa will present at $30,000 grant from The Wawa Foundation to Special Olympics Virginia to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which unites officers from law enforcement agencies and corrections departments across the state to raise more than $1 million annually for Special Olympics Virginia. Each summer, law enforcement officers carry the Flame of Hope across Virginia, culminating with the Torch Run Final Leg and the lighting of the Olympics cauldron to officially open the Summer Games.

The day will also bring a hoagie-building competition between the Fairfax City Police Department, City of Fairfax Fire Department, and George Mason University Police Department, with $1,000 checks going to charities chosen by each department.

In addition, Wawa says it will recognize a member of the local community who has had a positive impact with a ceremony and gift basket. The gesture is part of the company’s “2022 Day Brighteners” initiative, which celebrates standout employees and community members.

“At Wawa, our core purpose is fulfilling lives every day and since our first store opened, we’ve believed that we all have a role in making this world a better place,” Wawa President and CEO Chris Gheysens said in a statement. “Our store teams and Associates deliver experiences and emotional connections with customers that go beyond what traditionally happens in a retail environment. Simply put, they help make their communities happier and more connected.”

Joining locations in Vienna and Chantilly, the 6,049-square-foot Fairfax store has 12 gas pumps and will offer hot food from its kitchen, including the chain’s signature hoagies and customizable burgers. There are also drinks and ready-to-go items.

Services include mobile ordering, curbside pickup, delivery options and catering.

The store has about 50 full-time and part-time employees. All of the positions are newly created, per the press release.

Started as a dairy processing plant in Pennsylvania in 1902, Wawa evolved into a grocery business with the opening of its first market in 1964. In recent years, the chain has been rapidly expanding beyond its core Pennsylvania and New Jersey service area, with a total of 52 new stores expected to open in 2022.