Good news, loyal Wawa devotees: The convenience store chain has just announced that #WawaDay will be occurring on April 16 this year — which means that on that magical day you can walk into any of the chain's locations and walk out with a cup of free Wawa coffee. Not only that, but according to Wawa's Facebook page, the promo is good for any size coffee. You heard me: Free coffee. Any size. April 16. I'd call that a win, wouldn't you?
Now, odds are if that you've never spent any significant amount of time in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, or Florida, you have no idea what a Wawa is. This is unfortunate, because as I learned one I moved to southern New Jersey, Wawa is whatever deity you believe in's gift to convenience stores. Think of the best bodega you've ever been to… and now think of it as being several times better than that. There isn't much within walking distance of my apartment in the Jersey 'burbs, but given that I can get to a liquor store, a pizza place, my library, and a Wawa… well, that covers just about all the bases.
#WawaDay, therefore, is intended to celebrate pretty much everything about Wawa: Its customers, its employees, and, according to the Wawa website, “the communities we're so proud to serve.” In addition to the free coffee deal, the chain is also giving away over 400 $20 Wawa gift cards, so head on over here to enter for your chance to win one. Oh, and while you're at it? Snap a photo of your favorite Wawa associate and share it on social media with the hashtag #WawaDay. There are no prizes for doing so, but you know what? That doesn't matter. As Wawa itself noted, #WawaDay is about showing general appreciation. The free stuff is just a bonus, so why not brighten someone's day by telling them how much you appreciate them?
Wawa, by the way, actually has a pretty fascinating history. Originally begun as an iron foundry in 1890, it later became a dairy farm. The Wawa Dairy Farm made a killing for several decades, delivery fresh milk directly to customers' doors. By the 1960s, though, people had started to move away from home delivery of milk—so in an attempt to capitalize on the trend, Wawa began opening stores to sell the farm's milk. Clearly this was a good idea, and in the years since, Wawa has become one of the biggest food retailers in the Greater Philadelphia area. They still sell their own milk, by the way; if I'm running low on it and I can't get to the grocery store for a few days, that's where I go to get mine.
Oh, and for the curious, “Wawa” is the Ojibwe or Chippewa word for Canadian goose. So if you've ever wondered why Wawa's logo is the silhouette of a goose… now you know.
Happy almost-Wawa Day!
Images: tedkulp/Flickr; Giphy
