Wawa Offers Free Coffee for Teachers and School Staff ‘Working Tirelessly’ in September

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The Wawa chain of convenience stores is showing its support for educators with a generous “back-to-school” offer. Teachers, faculty members, and school support staff can claim free coffee throughout the month of September.

The offer is for one free coffee of any size per visit, reports WPVI. All that the Philadelphia-area store asks is for school staffers to “share with an associate at the register that you work for a school,” and the chain will help get their day started with a delicious caffeinated beverage.

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Students—for whom caffeine is not a recommended constituent part of their morning routine, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics—are exempt from the promotion.

Mike Sherlock, Wawa’s chief food & beverage officer, explained the impulse behind the offer in a press statement. “As students make their way back to school in-person and virtually across our communities, we wanted to show our tremendous appreciation for the teachers and faculty who are working tirelessly to educate children in our area,” he said.

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School staffers’ roles, Sherlock recognized, will be exacerbated by the “many unique challenges” that all schools are facing as they head into the new term in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

“In a school year starting out unlike any we’ve experienced,” Sherlock continued, “we are happy to provide this small gesture for a limited time, and we are grateful to so many teachers for providing support for youth in our communities.”

The offer, which began on Sept. 8, will run until Sept. 30.

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Meanwhile, there are a number of additional chains too that have stepped up to show support as their own state’s educators head back to school for the new term.

Krispy Kreme got the ball rolling with a back-to-school promotion from Aug. 10 to Aug. 14. Teachers were eligible for a free glazed donut and brewed coffee, reports Business Insider, simply by flashing their school ID at the eatery’s checkout.

Librarian Sherri Whitham (L) helps a student through a protective barrier at Hollywood High School in Hollywood, Calif., on Aug. 13, 2020 (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

Hailing the offer as part of their “Educator Appreciation Week” program, Krispy Kreme also encouraged its customers to claim a dozen free “Straight A” donuts by purchasing a box of 12, and to share the tasty treats with “any educator in your life. ... mentors, parents, siblings, neighbors, and friends.”

McDonald’s chains in Central Florida too followed up with their own offer of free coffee for teachers every Tuesday through September, hot or iced.

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The comforting caffeinated crutch being offered by an increasing number of food and drink outlets nationwide may help quell the trepidation that some educators feel upon returning to the classroom. In uncertain times, a morning ritual as crucial to many as a cup of coffee could mean the difference between a good and a great start to the new semester.

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