Wawa store opens Friday with free coffee for 10 days

Wawa Inc.'s newest Delaware store opens Friday at 7 E. Commons Blvd. near New Castle at West Basin Road -- incidentally, right next-door to The News Journal's offices.

Of note: free coffee for the first 10 days and a hoagie-building competition for charity between the Wilmington Manor Fire Co. and Delaware State Police.

The site is the first of 45 new stores Wawa plans to open in the region by the end of the year, which happens to be the company's 50th anniversary.

Festivities get underway at 10 a.m. and will include the attendance of Sen. David McBride and Wawa's mascot, Wally Goose.

Jeff Foley is general manager of the new store, leading a team of nearly 60 employees, all new positions brought to the area. The company says the jobs come with competitive salaries and health benefits, along with the opportunity to be enrolled in Wawa's employee stock ownership plan.