FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP - A new Wawa store and fill-up station on Route 9, the convenience store's 20th location in Monmouth County, opens on Thursday.

Wawa anchors a new shopping center at the corner of Route 9 and Elton-Adelphia Road. Besides Wawa, two restaurants with drive-thru lanes, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell, are nearing the completion of construction.

Taco Bell opens on Dec. 27. A representative for Chick-fil-A could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

A 12,600-square-foot multi-tenant retail center, which includes a 3,000-square-foot restaurant, is also approved for the property, but has not yet begun construction.

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Meanwhile, Wawa said its new store, its first in Freehold Township, will open at 8 a.m. on Thursday and have an outdoor ribbon cutting ceremony an hour later. The event will feature emergency responders from Freehold, local officials, Wawa executives, and representatives from Freehold Township High School. The first 100 customers will receive Wawa Freehold NJ T-shirts.

"We're excited to open a new location to continue serving our friends and neighbors in the Freehold community," said Chris Gheysens, president and chief executive officer of Wawa, in a statement.

The new store will include some of Wawa's latest features, including a new dinner menu, such as burgers, pasta and "heat-and-eat meals."

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As part of the opening event, Wawa said it will recognize heroes in the Freehold police and fire departments and first aid squad who will compete in the company's "Hoagies for Heroes" hoagie-building competition. Each agency will receive a $1,000 donation to each department's charity of choice.

The store also is donating $1,000 to the athletic department of Freehold Township High School which is participating in a "Hoagies for Heroes" competition through a sponsorship with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.

David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for more than 20 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Wawa opening in Freehold Township; Taco Bell and Chick-fil-A are next