It's a regular, albeit blustery, day at the Wawa in Wildwood.

The iconic store, known for its standout pink and blue signs that break the mold of the 700-some identical locations up and down the East Coast, was in full operation Thursday morning, despite blizzard conditions outside.

Bundled up attendants switched between gas pumps and shovels as they worked to keep the heavy, drifting snow away from the pumps. Indoors, a full staff made fresh coffee and filled orders as they came through.

The store, according to general manager Blake Loper, intended to stay open, despite a state of emergency issued for Cape May County and others along the coast.

He said his crew, and other Wawas in the region, stay open to serve those who can't take a day off, like doctors, nurses, firefighters, police officers and EMTs.

"We try to stay open to take care of all the first responders," he said. "We understand that it's tough out there."

The store would only close, Loper noted, if they felt employees and customers were in serious danger. Around noon, the temperature in Wildwood was 24 degrees, with a windchill of 9 degrees. Gusts whipped winds through the empty streets and towards the beach at rates as high as 30 mph.

In the off season, the store is a place where the year-round staff gets to know its regular, local customers well. And serving up fresh hoagies for familiar faces makes the cold weather sting a little less.

"We're happy to be here for them, and I think they're happy to have us," he said.

Wawa seemed to be the only place to grab a bite to eat in the Shore town around noon, with even the McDonald's next door leaving its doors locked and snow piling up in its parking lot.

And while several customers stopped for gas or milled around the store, grabbing a coffee or waiting for an order, it was clear there would be no lunch rush.

John Burdsall, a Wildwood resident, said the snow, and the state of emergency, didn't bother him. He was off for the day, but took a trip to the Wawa in his Ford pickup to get out for a bit, and checkout the blizzard for himself.

His ruling? Not so bad, he said, a fresh coffee in hand.

"Today is just a day for me to go out and play," he said.

"State of emergency" "blizzard warning" "vehicles should not be on the roads"

Wawa: "the snow is no excuse not to come in to work" — erica🖤 (@_EricaNickole) January 4, 2018

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.