Patricia Talorico

The News Journal

Wawa is celebrating the Friday opening of its new convenience store at 4651 Stanton-Ogletown Road in Newark by offering free coffee there through Sunday.

The 5,585 square-foot building has larger windows and gas pumps. It will employee about 45 people in full- and part-time positions.

The new store in Newark opens at 8 a.m. Friday and will have a grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m.

Delaware state police from Troop 7 and members of the Christiana Fire Company will compete in a hoagie building competition. A check for $1,000 will go to the winner's charity of choice.

This is the 14th Wawa to open this year, and the 44th store in Delaware. There are now 39 Wawas in New Castle County.

The first Wawa Food Market opened in 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania. The Wawa chain has since expanded to six states. The privately-owned company is currently remodeling 75 of its older legacy stores.