Wawa to Open New Middletown Store With Grand Opening Celebration Sept. 4

Wawa will open its new Middletown location on Friday, Sept. 4, with a grand opening celebration featuring free coffee, limited-edition T-shirts, a first responder hoagie-building competition, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new store, located at 56 Reliance Road in Middletown, will officially open its doors at 8 a.m.

Festivities will begin at 7:55 a.m., when Wawa General Manager Tesia Huffman leads a countdown to the opening. The first 100 customers will receive free limited-edition “Wawa Grand Opening Tour in the USA” T-shirts, while supplies last.

Wawa will also offer free hot coffee in any size to all customers through Sept. 6.

A formal ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m. and include remarks from company representatives, local officials, and community members. The event will also feature Wawa’s “Hoagies for Heroes” competition, which will bring local police and fire personnel together for a hoagie-building contest.

The morning will conclude with a ribbon-cutting and additional festivities, including music, confetti, and an appearance by Wally Goose, Wawa’s mascot.

Scheduled participants include Kim Dowgielewicz, Wawa’s director of store operations; Nathan Bates, Wawa area manager; Huffman; state and local officials; local first responders; customers and Wawa fans.

The Middletown location is part of Wawa’s ongoing expansion and is expected to be the company’s 60th store, out of nearly 100 planned for 2026.

Wawa said its 2026 Grand Opening Tour is taking place in 14 states across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Midwest. The company is tying the expansion to the nation’s 250th birthday year and says the celebrations are intended to bring local residents together as new stores open.

Each new Wawa store represents an investment of more than $7.5 million, according to the company. Construction typically involves about 140 contractors and local partners.

Once open, the Middletown store is expected to employ an average of about 35 associates.

The company said the grand opening events are designed to introduce new store teams to their communities while creating opportunities for customers, local leaders and first responders to take part in the celebration.

The Middletown opening will begin with the 7:55 a.m. countdown, followed by the 8 a.m. door opening and the start of the T-shirt giveaway and free coffee promotion.

The 8:30 a.m. ceremony will include remarks, the Hoagies for Heroes competition, and the ribbon cutting.

Customers can expect a festive atmosphere throughout the morning, including music and appearances by Wally Goose.

Wawa has continued to grow its footprint across Virginia as part of a broader expansion into new communities.

The Middletown store opening is one of nearly 100 grand opening celebrations the company has planned for 2026.