CARING COMMUNITIES

QuickChek Senior VP works 41st consecutive Christmas

Mike Murphy serves fresh coffee in Fairfield store

Cheryl Makin
@CherylMakin

WHITEHOUSE STATION – For those weary-eyed residents who stayed up all night helping Santa deliver presents or for travelers on their way to grandmother’s house, the person serving up their fresh-brewed morning coffee at the QuickChek fresh convenience market in Fairfield on Christmas morning might have surprised them.

QuickChek Senior Vice President Mike Murphy, who worked Christmas Day for the 41st consecutive year, serves up some fresh coffee at the Fairfield store.

No, it wasn’t St. Nick, but QuickChek Senior Vice President Mike Murphy, who worked Christmas Day for the 41st consecutive year.

“If I’m going to have people work that day, then I’ve always felt I should be there, too,” said Murphy, a Wayne resident who is based out of the fresh convenience market chain’s support center in Whitehouse Station. “I work in different stores every year doing what I can to help out.”

Murphy worked in the company’s Fairfield store at 384 Passaic Avenue from 6 to 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, serving up what consumers have voted the best coffee in America including the company’s hugely popular “Kris Kringle” flavored coffee. He also cleaned the store and mopped up after a customer coffee spill.

“Whatever the store leader needs me to do, I’ll do,” Murphy said. His boss that morning — his son Matt.

“He wants me because I’m free help for the day,” said the elder Murphy with a laugh.

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Like most of the company’s vice presidents and all of its district leaders, Murphy began his career working in a local store. He notes that the first thing consumers want on Christmas is their morning coffee. Next? More batteries. Over the past few years he has seen an increase in the sales of QuickChek’s signature bakery products from their in-store ovens, freshly-made breakfast sandwiches to go and handcrafted drinks.

“We have customers who come into stores in their pajamas, which is fitting as we’ve been their neighborhood shopping destination all year long,” Murphy said.

QuickChek once again was named a best place to work in New Jersey and New York. Pictured is Senior Vice President Mike Murphy, who annually works on Christmas Day.

Among the convenience items that customers come to QuickChek for that they may not be able to get elsewhere on Christmas Day is gasoline, a must for those who need to fill up during their holiday travels.

“Our company has been built on 'Total Customer Dedication,' its something we live 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Murphy, noting it is one of the major reasons QuickChek was named the 2016 National Convenience Store Chain of the Year. “It’s the nature of the times we live in. Customer lifestyles change. We have to be there to meet their needs.”

A leader in the fresh convenience industry with an exceptional fresh food and coffee program, QuickChek operates 147 locations throughout the state, New York’s Hudson Valley and Long Island, including 10 pharmacy stores and 61 locations with fuel. Most stores were open Christmas Eve until 10:30 p.m. and then re-opened Christmas Day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. All 61 locations which serve fuel, including Fairfield, will stay open 24 hours. To find the nearest store download the QuickChek mobile app at www.quickchek.com.

Most of the company’s team members’ shifts were limited to four hours on Christmas with those working receiving additional pay.

Except for the guy in the Santa hat making coffee in the morning in Fairfield.

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@mycentraljersey.com