A crowd of energetic supporters gathered Oct. 23 on Wards Road to celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Wawa in Campbell County, Virginia.
The new store offered free coffee along with discounted prices on various items such as a $1 discount on hoagies.
The ribbon-cutting event opened with a presentation by Kim Dowgielewicz, director of store operations, who described the long history of the Wawa store using a parade of images that captured its 200-year history. Her remarks emphasized Wawa’s growth, starting in the textile industry, then into dairy to its growth as a well-known convenience store industry today.
Dowgielewicz thanked the contributors from the Wawa corporation to the local, state and county leaders that all helped make this possible.
The event highlighted the initiative behind the Wawa brand to expand further south into areas like Lynchburg, Virginia.
Mark Soroka, local area manager of Wawa, emphasized the importance of Wawa in the community.
“For Wawa it’s all about becoming a part of the community in which we operate,” Soroka said. “For us, it’s becoming a staple in the marketplace and that’s not only being there as friends and neighbors, serving friends and neighbors, but also branching out and making connections in the community.”
Soroka also shared why customers keep going back to Wawa: the people.
“The people are what makes a difference,” Soroka said.
Soroka described Wawa’s impact on Campbell County’s economy. She also said the creation of the new store required a team effort from local county and state representatives. Soroka mentioned the number of investments and contractors that Wawa employs to create a store along with a management and associate team that hires and operates with over 40 employees.
Students from Liberty University were also present at the opening of the store location with junior Sydney Plumbing and sophomore Eric Gregory excited about the new Wawa.
“I’m from Florida, and we have a lot of Wawas, and I’ve been missing them up here,” Plumbing said. “They have good food, it’s cheap and it’s convenient to get to.”
Gregory emphasized his love for Wawa, growing up 30 minutes from the Wawa headquarters in Pennsylvania.
“It’s a childhood memory for me,” Gregory said. “We always go to Wawa after our track meets.”
Lee is a news reporter.