They drove for hours. They lined up early. They danced the Cha Cha Slide. And when the doors opened, they flooded in to get their Wawa coffee, their Wawa subs, and the thrill of being the first people in the door at the first Wawa store in Alabama and the first on the central Gulf Coast.

After a packed-house preview on Wednesday that showed the pent-up demand and curiosity around the chain’s expansion into the region, the store near Fairhope High School opened its doors at 8 a.m. Thursday to let in a flood of people who’d lined up around the corner.

Among them were three women who’d left Enterprise, Ala., at 3 a.m. to make sure they were among those who’d get a commemorative T-shirt. Alex Phillips said she’d made the trip with two friends who happened to be New Jersey expatriates.

“They’ve been waiting eight years for this to happen,” Phillips said.

The trio was easy to identify due to matching custom T-shirts. Phillips’ read, “My favorite restaurant is the gas station,” referencing both Wawa and Buc-ee’s. Her friends’ shirts bore the Wawa goose logo and names for two formats of Wawa’s popular hoagie sandwiches: “Classic” for Heather Salmon and “Shorti” for Erica Shaw.

When they emerged from the maelstrom inside the store, 45 minutes or so after the doors opened, they were loaded down with purchases, which included a couple of hoagies. Shaw said she’d gone straight for the classic ham and cheese.

Wawa’s reputation is built on clean stores, good food and a high standard for customer service. Asked what newcomers can expect, Salmon said, “They’re going to love everything about it.”

The friendliness of the stores is real, she said, both among staff and customers. “They’re going to hold the door open for you,” Salmon said. “It’s a Wawa thing.” Maybe in the South that’s not so unusual, but Salmon said that in some parts of the country, “The only place people are polite is at Wawa.”

One person who opted to take a look from a safe distance was area restaurateur “Panini Pete” Blohme, who said “all my Philly people” were going nuts over the opening. (Until now, Wawa’s 1,000-plus stores have primarily been in northern East Coast states and Florida.)

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Blohme of the line of people waiting to get in. He planned to wait for the surge to pass before he satisfied his own hoagie craving: “I’m coming back later to buy 12 of them for the office,” he said.

“People down here have to understand,” he said. “It’s a hoagie. It’s not a po-boy. It’s a hoagie.” (His personal favorite: The Italian with Genoa salami.)

At Thursday’s grand opening, store officials said the company was excited about the reception it had received so far.

“Ever since we landed in Alabama you have wrapped your arms around us and you have not let us go,” said Director of Store Operations Joe Collins.

“It’s not just about building more stores,” said Wawa President Brian Schaller. “Yes, we’re excited about that. It’s about forming new community partnerships.”

The new local partners Schaller wanted to thank were the local officials who’d turned out for the occasion. “We couldn’t do this without your help, support, guidance, coaching,” he said. “Look, I could tell you some stories. Up in the Northeast, it’s not very easy to do this. You have made it easy … You have our gratitude.”

“We realize the burden is on us to become a positive impact to your community, Schaller said. “This isn’t just about … open the door, sell what we think are good products. It’s how we integrate ourselves properly, how we earn your trust, and how we become a positive member of the community.” Schaller talked about Wawa’s approach to corporate responsibility, philanthropy and even its employee stock ownership plan.

“You know, 40% of our company is owned by the associates who’ll be serving you,” he said. “That’s where we think the magic is made.”

Thursday’s festivities also included a double “Hoagies for Heroes” competition. Fairhope firefighters eked out a narrow win over Fairhope police, amid some calls for a recount. Administrators from Fairhope High School also managed to build a few more subs than a team of FHS cheerleaders. Win or lose, each team represented a nonprofit that received $1,000 from Wawa via the event.

The store is the first of many coming to the region. Store officials have said they expect the first Mobile store and another in Robertsdale to open by the end of summer. Additional locations are planned for west Mobile, Semmes, Fairhope and Daphne.