http://www.uwishunu.com/2015/07/wawa-named-americas-favorite-convenience-store/ (http://www.uwishunu.com/2015/07/wawa-named-americas-favorite-convenience-store/)
Only because Sheetz doesn't have as far of a reach yet.
Sheetz is better.
Cumbie's (as many in New England call Cumberland Farms) isn't bad, but I wish they had better food selection including touch-screen ordering like what Wawa and Sheetz have.
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 11:46:11 AM
Sheetz is better.
Cumbie's (as many in New England call Cumberland Farms) isn't bad, but I wish they had better food selection including touch-screen ordering like what Wawa and Sheetz have.
Sheetz does have a far reach (there is 3 in Chambersburg), combined with your statement (Sheetz is better), then yeah, I can call that true. Wawa does not have a much of a far reach (saw 1 in Philadelphia) as Sheetz, but still is pretty good.
Must be an east coast thing. I read the article and was surprised to see that they offer their own food rather than having a Subway or Arby's on the premises. I'm not aware of any western chains that are set up in this way.
Shenanigans...How can a place be America's Favorite anything if they don't have full national penetration? That would be like saying Culver's has America's favorite custard. Until these forums, I had never even heard of WaWa (frankly, I thought it was slang for something rather than an actual store). Except for most of the gas stations, the only one on that list in Wisconsin is 7-Eleven. QuikTrip ≠ KwikTrip.
Quote from: DaBigE on July 22, 2015, 12:38:01 PM
Shenanigans...How can a place be America's Favorite anything if they don't have full national penetration? That would be like saying Culver's has America's favorite custard. Until these forums, I had never even heard of WaWa (frankly, I thought it was slang for something rather than an actual store). Except for most of the gas stations, the only one on that list in Wisconsin is 7-Eleven. QuikTrip ≠ KwikTrip.
I guess people in the East love Wawa more than people on the rest of the US love any convenience store.
Re: Cumberland Farms, the newer ones are not bad, but there are so many older duds that drag down my impression of the chain as a whole. I have never seen one with made-to-order sandwiches not outsourced to Subway, which keeps them out of the running for best anything.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on July 22, 2015, 12:45:45 PM
Quote from: DaBigE on July 22, 2015, 12:38:01 PM
Shenanigans...How can a place be America's Favorite anything if they don't have full national penetration? That would be like saying Culver's has America's favorite custard. Until these forums, I had never even heard of WaWa (frankly, I thought it was slang for something rather than an actual store). Except for most of the gas stations, the only one on that list in Wisconsin is 7-Eleven. QuikTrip ≠ KwikTrip.
I guess people in the East love Wawa more than people on the rest of the US love any convenience store.
Or it could be indicative of the poor quality of the eastern restaurants that people would rather eat at a convenience store than at those east coast restaurants. I haven't been east of the Appalachians enough to tell.
QuoteSheetz does have a far reach (there is 3 in Chambersburg), combined with your statement (Sheetz is better), then yeah, I can call that true. Wawa does not have a much of a far reach (saw 1 in Philadelphia) as Sheetz, but still is pretty good.
Sheetz being "better" is my personal opinion.
Regarding geographic reach, the two largely serve different market areas...there's very little overlap between the two. Sheetz ranges from North Carolina to Lake Erie, but except for Washington, NC stays away from the Atlantic coast, which is very much Wawa territory from the Hampton Roads area to northern New Jersey. It should also be noted that Wawa is opening 15 locations in Florida this year, so technically their geographic reach will soon be greater than Sheetz.
And while there is only 1 Wawa in Philly that sells gas, there are several (at least 8) non-gas-selling Wawa convenience stores in Philly.
QuoteOr it could be indicative of the poor quality of the eastern restaurants that people would rather eat at a convenience store than at those east coast restaurants. I haven't been east of the Appalachians enough to tell.
Some of it is convenience...much easier to make 1 stop for gas and food when you're traveling than it is to make 2 separate stops.
Some of it is the two companies desire to keep everything "in house" under the same label. I've seen a number of gas stations and travel centers on the East Coast that had food, but it was usually some contract or joint effort with a fast food company (Subway and McDonalds being the two most popular, but I've also seen Arby's and Wendy's).
My opinion too, I like sheetz more.
I guess I'm the only one here who prefers Wawa...
What's a Wawa? (LOL)
I always thought that was what my little brother called the bottle when he first started to talk circa 1976.
Wawa and Sheetz sound like washing detergent.
I wish Wawa or Sheetz would consider returning/coming to New England. The renovated Cumby's are ok, but I love Wawa's Iced Coffee and Sheetz's overall concept. And while they're at it, bring TastyKake pies up with them.
I thought Cumberland Farms was a gas station company (with competitive prices).
Wawa is my all-time favorite, and I think most everyone I know in my area will probably agree with me.
Quote from: Alex4897 on July 22, 2015, 02:08:31 PM
Wawa is my all-time favorite, and I think most everyone I know in my area will probably agree with me.
Hear, hear!
Quote from: jakeroot on July 22, 2015, 01:46:21 PM
Wawa and Sheetz sound like washing detergent.
You win the Internet for today.
Haters. All of you! (Except Ian & Alex!) :sombrero:
In general, people prefer Sheetz for their friendly customer service. People prefer Wawa for their coffee.
The two CEOs are actually good friends, as some news stories have mentioned, and would even get together on occasion. They had to dial that back since they are competing in some markets now. Both of them are very similar in operation; including the touch screens that you use to order your food, then pay for it while waiting for it to be prepared. The biggest difference was Sheetz invited you to hang around a bit and enjoy your food with indoor or outdoor tables and benches. Wawa was always designed to get you in and get you back on the road.
In many Wawas, you'll notice that people tend to want to park on the side of the building, rather than the front. That's mainly due to all the activity with cars constantly pulling in and out, especially with the gas pumps there.
Wawa also designed their market in a way where their trucks could get there within a normal shift from their Delaware County, PA warehouses. Thus, that was their central point, and they fanned out from there. They stayed away from the NYC market because the traffic issues didn't allow for their time demands. They have extended their reach first into Maryland and then Virginia; I believe around MP 30 - 40 of I-95 is the furthest south they extend their Philly market (not sure how their trucks handle that drive, which would approach 12 hours round trip without stops).
The Florida market was a huge change for the store, but one they figured they could deal with because of the huge number of implants from the Philly area that are familiar with the Wawa brand. They did change some of their philosophes when dealing with the slower and older Florida market - some of their stores have areas to sit down and eat for example. I'm not sure if they truck the milk down there from PA or if they use a secondary warehouse/bottler down there.
Every Wawa store makes a profit. They close down the least-profitable Wawas on occasion. In many cases it's because they opened a new Wawa a short distance away with gas pumps, but other times they just close them down for no apparent reason. Almost always they immediately become an independent convenience store (which shows they are actively marketing them; they just don't close down without warning to the store employees), although some have become farmers markets, professional offices, etc.
Wawa has stock, but it's all privately held by employees with the company and not publically traded. Someone was telling me recently that unlike many private companies, the employees collectively have more stock (60%) than the ownership group, which is unusual.
Wawa still maintains fee-free ATM use. Yes, your own bank may charge you, but not Wawa (they are PNC Bank branded ATMs, so their customers get true fee-free ATM use there). This started a good 25 years ago when many banks started charging non-customers for using the ATM. The thinking is that you'll go to Wawa, use the ATM to withdraw cash, then spend it in the store. Wawa now readily accepts credit cards and you can pay via their App, neither of which you could do when the ATMs were first introduced into their stores, but they keep them fee-free anyway.
Footnote to this: While they advertise all their stores have fee-free ATMs, there's actually a single store, in the Pike Creek, Newark, DE area, that does not have an ATM. The shopping center agreed to allow a bank there to have the only ATM within that shopping center. I only know this because I worked at that Wawa for 6 months or so while in college; 20 years ago (oh good Lord...that long ago???). Last time I stopped by, they still didn't have an ATM within the store.
(Yeah, I guess I'm a small fan of Wawa) :-D
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 22, 2015, 01:55:50 PM
I wish Wawa or Sheetz would consider returning/coming to New England. The renovated Cumby's are ok, but I love Wawa's Iced Coffee and Sheetz's overall concept. And while they're at it, bring TastyKake pies up with them.
Sheetz you can find in Pennsylvania. Those aren't hard. There is still a ton in New England.
Wawa's are a little bit more scattered, and more hidden, but still rewarding if you find one.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 22, 2015, 01:55:50 PM
I wish Wawa or Sheetz would consider returning/coming to New England. The renovated Cumby's are ok, but I love Wawa's Iced Coffee and Sheetz's overall concept. And while they're at it, bring TastyKake pies up with them.
I'm curious - what is Sheetz's "overall concept"? I've been in some along I-81 in VA and I didn't notice that it was any different from any other convenience store.
Quote from: noelboteveraSheetz you can find in Pennsylvania. Those aren't hard. There is still a ton in New England.
You have got to be kidding. There are no Sheetz further northeast than the Allentown and Scranton areas. Not even close to New England.
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 02:56:18 PM
Quote from: noelboteveraSheetz you can find in Pennsylvania. Those aren't hard. There is still a ton in New England.
You have got to be kidding. There are no Sheetz further northeast than the Allentown and Scranton areas. Not even close to New England.
If memory serves, there was a Sheetz on I-95 west of Groton and east of CT 9 when we went to Rhode Island once. It was 6 years ago so I don't remember.
Quote from: spooky on July 22, 2015, 02:45:11 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 22, 2015, 01:55:50 PM
I wish Wawa or Sheetz would consider returning/coming to New England. The renovated Cumby's are ok, but I love Wawa's Iced Coffee and Sheetz's overall concept. And while they're at it, bring TastyKake pies up with them.
I'm curious - what is Sheetz's "overall concept"? I've been in some along I-81 in VA and I didn't notice that it was any different from any other convenience store.
Sheetz locations vary quite a bit based on the date of construction. Some older stores are small and don't seem very different from any other generic '80s neighborhood convenience store. Newer stores are also much larger, sometimes with high ceilings, drop lights, and bold decor. Some locations have added seating areas in an attempt to be kind of a hybrid fast food/convenience store/neighborhood hangout operation.
Their big point of differentiation for years has been the MTO fast food operation in the store–and even the older, smaller Sheetz locations I've seen have had it retrofitted. Touchscreen kiosks allow customers to create and customize items from an ever-expanding menu of sandwiches, wraps, bagels, burgers, hot dogs, and espresso drinks. Almost any topping is available on any item, and there's ridiculously large number of odd combinations you could create.
I'm sure that more convenience chains have added similar ordering setups in their own stores, but when I was introduced to Sheetz about 20 years ago, my previous experience with convenience store fast food was limited to the leather hot dogs on rollers and the premade sandwiches in plastic triangles. So at that time, Sheetz seemed like a revolution.
Quote from: noelbotevera on July 22, 2015, 02:34:59 PM
Sheetz you can find in Pennsylvania. Those aren't hard. There is still a ton in New England.
Wawa's are a little bit more scattered, and more hidden, but still rewarding if you find one.
You'll find hundreds of them in the 5 county Philly area.
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 11:46:11 AM
Sheetz is better.
I agree.
But Wawa, Sheetz
and Royal Farm (found in parts of Maryland and Delaware) are
all vastly better than 7-11.
And last time I checked, not a one of them (aside from 7-11)
has even one store in Montgomery County, Maryland because of the expensive and burdensome planning and approval regulations, combined with too many citizen activists committed to economic stagnation.
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 11:46:11 AM
Cumbie's (as many in New England call Cumberland Farms) isn't bad, but I wish they had better food selection including touch-screen ordering like what Wawa and Sheetz have.
I think I stopped at one of their stores in Vermont across the river from Lebanon, New Hampshire - seemed fine to me.
Does Irving (petroleum) run its own c-stores in New England and Canada, or do the use a different brand (like Circle K)? I've stopped at one of their places in New Hampshire, which also seemed fine, but I do not recall if the store had a different brand from the fuel.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 22, 2015, 03:09:01 PM
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 11:46:11 AM
Sheetz is better.
I agree.
But Wawa, Sheetz and Royal Farm (found in parts of Maryland and Delaware) are all vastly better than 7-11.
And last time I checked, not a one of them (aside from 7-11) has even one store in Montgomery County, Maryland because of the expensive and burdensome planning and approval regulations, combined with too many citizen activists committed to economic stagnation
Hey, if they can deal with NJ's regulations, they can deal with them anywhere!
7-11 has Slurpees and Lottery, and that's all (I remember when they had video games tucked away in a corner). 7-11 has tried competing against Wawa and others with prepared "fresh" sandwiches, but how fresh is a sandwich going to be that gets trucked to a store once a day?
Royal Farms has excellent fried chicken. I wished there was a location closer to me. But then again, I'm glad there isn't one closer to me!
I grew up with Cumby's and have to say I still feel a little allegiance to them, but there's little doubt that Sheetz and Wawa offer a higher level of service.
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 02:56:18 PM
Quote from: noelboteveraSheetz you can find in Pennsylvania. Those aren't hard. There is still a ton in New England.
You have got to be kidding. There are no Sheetz further northeast than the Allentown and Scranton areas. Not even close to New England.
Moreover...
Quote from: noelbotevera on July 22, 2015, 02:34:59 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 22, 2015, 01:55:50 PMWawa's are a little bit more scattered, and more hidden, but still rewarding if you find one.
Hidden? Wawa? Wawa the convenience store? Wikipedia says "680+ stores"! Even assuming typical Wikipedia room for error, they'd have to use camouflage to hide all those.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on July 22, 2015, 03:54:33 PM
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 02:56:18 PM
Quote from: noelboteveraSheetz you can find in Pennsylvania. Those aren't hard. There is still a ton in New England.
You have got to be kidding. There are no Sheetz further northeast than the Allentown and Scranton areas. Not even close to New England.
Moreover...
Quote from: noelbotevera on July 22, 2015, 02:34:59 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 22, 2015, 01:55:50 PMWawa's are a little bit more scattered, and more hidden, but still rewarding if you find one.
Hidden? Wawa? Wawa the convenience store? Wikipedia says "680+ stores"! Even assuming typical Wikipedia room for error, they'd have to use camouflage to hide all those.
When do you expect a whole Wawa's under a tunnel? That is one unusual place to put a whole convenience store.
I think most of the older Sheetz locations -- most definitely the ones I've been to -- have been retrofitted to include deep fryers for their fried menu. The more varied food menu is the reason I prefer Sheetz to Wawa. Since I don't drink coffee, that's not a factor for me to consider in judging the two.
It seems we just had the same discussion recently, but again, my vote is firmly with Wawa. I like Sheetz, but I'm not in their area that often. Quickchek is trying to expand along the northern/central Jersey Shore, but it has a lot of catching up to do and is not as good. Very smart move for Wawa, as part of their expansion back northward in NJ, to stick a store right next to and easily accessible from the GSP/NJTP/US9 interchange.
As for Cumberland Farms, they used to have a few tiny stores around, but left the area years ago. They went through a big scandal of falsely accusing their employees of theft, scaring them into signing 'confessions' and extorting money from them, so good riddance.
Wawa's ICEEs (or slushies?) are so amazing. I literally leave Wawa everytime with a smile on my face.
The only convenience stores in my area are 7/11, Krauszers (the old Wawas back when they were still in New England) and a new Cumbies.
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on July 22, 2015, 10:56:06 PM
It seems we just had the same discussion recently, but again, my vote is firmly with Wawa. I like Sheetz, but I'm not in their area that often. Quickchek is trying to expand along the northern/central Jersey Shore, but it has a lot of catching up to do and is not as good. Very smart move for Wawa, as part of their expansion back northward in NJ, to stick a store right next to and easily accessible from the GSP/NJTP/US9 interchange.
As for Cumberland Farms, they used to have a few tiny stores around, but left the area years ago. They went through a big scandal of falsely accusing their employees of theft, scaring them into signing 'confessions' and extorting money from them, so good riddance.
Funny, one of the current affairs hosts on a local NPR affiliate today mentioned quitting Wawa as a youth because they were trying to strongarm him into taking a lie-detector test over thefts.
Cumberland is functionally better than it used to be, but I'll take QuickChek over it any day.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 22, 2015, 03:09:01 PM
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 11:46:11 AM
Sheetz is better.
I agree.
But Wawa, Sheetz and Royal Farm (found in parts of Maryland and Delaware) are all vastly better than 7-11.
And last time I checked, not a one of them (aside from 7-11) has even one store in Montgomery County, Maryland because of the expensive and burdensome planning and approval regulations, combined with too many citizen activists committed to economic stagnation.
Quote from: froggie on July 22, 2015, 11:46:11 AM
Cumbie's (as many in New England call Cumberland Farms) isn't bad, but I wish they had better food selection including touch-screen ordering like what Wawa and Sheetz have.
I think I stopped at one of their stores in Vermont across the river from Lebanon, New Hampshire - seemed fine to me.
Does Irving (petroleum) run its own c-stores in New England and Canada, or do the use a different brand (like Circle K)? I've stopped at one of their places in New Hampshire, which also seemed fine, but I do not recall if the store had a different brand from the fuel.
Many Irving locations are co-branded with Circle K.
I'm surprised by the lack of QuickChek love, since they're not much different than Sheetz or Wawa. The QuickChek footprint is mainly in the northern half of New Jersey and parts of the Hudson Valley. I do enjoy both Sheetz and Wawa, but I haven't been able to find blackberry iced tea anywhere other than Wawa.
I also enjoy Stewart's Shops here in Upstate New York for their ice cream, but as technology goes, they are in the Dark Ages in comparison to QuickChek, Sheetz or Wawa. Honorable mention goes to Maplefield's (mostly in Vermont and far northeastern New York), which co-brands with Amato's of Maine for quick, hot foodstuffs.
SCH-I545
Quote from: Pete from Boston on July 23, 2015, 12:23:53 AM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on July 22, 2015, 10:56:06 PM
It seems we just had the same discussion recently, but again, my vote is firmly with Wawa. I like Sheetz, but I'm not in their area that often. Quickchek is trying to expand along the northern/central Jersey Shore, but it has a lot of catching up to do and is not as good. Very smart move for Wawa, as part of their expansion back northward in NJ, to stick a store right next to and easily accessible from the GSP/NJTP/US9 interchange.
As for Cumberland Farms, they used to have a few tiny stores around, but left the area years ago. They went through a big scandal of falsely accusing their employees of theft, scaring them into signing 'confessions' and extorting money from them, so good riddance.
Funny, one of the current affairs hosts on a local NPR affiliate today mentioned quitting Wawa as a youth because they were trying to strongarm him into taking a lie-detector test over thefts.
Most stores would've just fired him on the spot. No doubt he was completely innocent. :rolleyes:
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 22, 2015, 03:21:05 PM
Hey, if they can deal with NJ's regulations, they can deal with them anywhere!
Don't be so sure. Maryland approval regulations generally vary by county, and sometimes within a county, by the municipality (for those relatively few places that are within the corporate limits of a city or town).
But Montgomery County has a large corps of smart citizen activist types with unlimited time on their hands (many are retired with little or nothing to do) - and all or nearly all of them are committed to keeping the county the way it always has been (at least since they moved in, or since 1970), usually on environmental grounds, even if those grounds have little or no merit.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 22, 2015, 03:09:01 PMDoes Irving (petroleum) run its own c-stores in New England and Canada, or do the use a different brand (like Circle K)? I've stopped at one of their places in New Hampshire, which also seemed fine, but I do not recall if the store had a different brand from the fuel.
They DID, it was called "bluecanoe" (lower case, no space). Well-run, very customer-friendly store. Clean design, good products, great attention to detail. The larger, truck-oriented ones even had a decent restaurant. Not sure if this was an in-house operation or contracted.
In 2009 or so the concession was let to Circle-K, which is a mediocre store in my opinion, even compared to their parent brand Couche-Tard. A few vestiges of the bluecanoe identity remain, but the rest is gone.
I prefer Wawa, simply because i'm not in Sheetz's area very often. Royal Farms (similar type of establishment located in DE, MD, and VA) is also quite good.
Never heard of it lol
WAWA usually have better prices for Tastykake pies than your supermarket does.
Quote from: ET21 on July 23, 2015, 06:25:08 PM
Never heard of it lol
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Quote from: ET21 on July 23, 2015, 06:25:08 PM
Never heard of it lol
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
It can if people in the rest of the country think all their local c-stores suck.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Quote from: ET21 on July 23, 2015, 06:25:08 PM
Never heard of it lol
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
This point is being beaten to death, and is pretty clearly more a matter of poor headline syntax than anything.
To the extent the Philadelphia Business Journal article explains things, using whatever methodology was used Wawa scored highest on a scale of opinions about convenience stores.
A better phrasing would have been "America's most-loved convenience store"–the numbers show people love it more than others, not that the country as a whole even has a "favorite."
I'll use either Wawa or Sheetz and don't much care. The main differences I've noted are that (a) the Wawa in Woodbridge sells 92-octane gas (rather than 93), (b) the same station's pay-at-the-pump system accepts Apple Pay, and (c) the Sheetz in Wilderness (corner of VA-3 and VA-20) has the biggest roof over the gas pump/parking area of any gas station I can recall off the top of my head.
I can't say I ever recall ordering food at either Wawa or Sheetz, though. My ban on eating in the car surely contributes to that!
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Quote from: ET21 on July 23, 2015, 06:25:08 PM
Never heard of it lol
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
Then name all the convenience stores that have a national presence. And let us know what one you would think would be the favorite.
FWIW, most people out of Wawa-nation have the same attitude. Those that offer an opinion on what their favorite store is, well, it turns out it's generally only regional in nature as well.
It's like anything else that relies on fan voting. If fans of a certain chain/American Idol singer/MLB player stuff the ballot box, that's who wins.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 24, 2015, 02:33:17 PM
It's like anything else that relies on fan voting. If fans of a certain chain/American Idol singer/MLB player stuff the ballot box, that's who wins.
Normally true, although this was just a polling of a random number of people. Of course, if you ask more people in a particular region, you'll probably get more responses favoring that region. But if you ask 50 people in Oregon and 50 people in New Jersey, but you're dealing with two vastly different state populations, then you're under-representing the state with more people.
While many people tend to disagree with the polling results when they disagree with who or what wins, (and there's always going to be a case where the poll didn't correctly predict something such as a winner in an election), the overwhelming majority of these polls - when there's no bias involved - do tend to be quite accurate.
That all said, this is hardly the first time people have been asked their opinions about their favorite convenience store. Time and time again, both Wawa & Sheetz rank high in the studies conducted.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 24, 2015, 08:14:29 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Quote from: ET21 on July 23, 2015, 06:25:08 PM
Never heard of it lol
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
Then name all the convenience stores that have a national presence. And let us know what one you would think would be the favorite.
FWIW, most people out of Wawa-nation have the same attitude. Those that offer an opinion on what their favorite store is, well, it turns out it's generally only regional in nature as well.
All I have out here is 7-Eleven. There used to be White Hen's before 7-11 bought them out.
I honestly don't care about convenience store popularity. If it's there and I need something quickly out the door or on the road, I'll go to it.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 24, 2015, 02:33:17 PM
It's like anything else that relies on fan voting. If fans of a certain chain/American Idol singer/MLB player stuff the ballot box, that's who wins.
Vote often, they said.
Let me back up. My original issue was with the poll. However, upon further inspection, Uwishunu is the one I have a problem with. Here's the title and first sentence of their article:
Quote
Wawa Named America's Favorite Convenience Store
A new report has declared Wawa America's favorite convenience store
Nowhere in the poll does it say "American". There's a big difference between polled consumers and Americans
as a whole. The original press release uses proper wording "consumers" instead of "Americans" since a poll amounting to .00005% of households is not in any way conclusive enough to label the poll as a national opinion.
Of course, Uwishunu used the article title because they wanted people to read the article. However, that in and of itself does not permit them to mis-represent the press release. At least in my opinion.
http://mobile.philly.com/news/?wss=/philly/news&id=318504011&
A Q&A with Wawa's lead goose. Expect a lot of remodels, and enjoy the friendliness among associates, customers, cops & stoners.
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
I suspect there's some jealousy here in not being able to grab a Wawa meatball classic out on the west coast.
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on July 25, 2015, 02:11:45 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
I suspect there's some jealousy here in not being able to grab a Wawa meatball classic out on the west coast.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reactiongifs.us%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F07%2Fyou_got_me_breaking_bad.gif&hash=9f98481b07b116b26e6bfdfbae3210aa60e8133d)
Down here we have 7-Eleven, RaceTrac and QuikTrip and that's about it. A little farther west there is Allsup's which are known for their chimichangas, but their stores seem cluttered and dirty to me.
I've heard of Wawa and Sheetz and their "grinders." We don't have an equivalent here, unless there happens to be a Subway attached. I think I found a Cumberland Farms in Burleson a few years ago.
Quote from: briantroutman on July 22, 2015, 03:06:59 PMAlmost any topping is available on any item, and there's ridiculously large number of odd combinations you could create.
Where other than Sheetz can I get a burger with pepperoni, bacon, egg and ranch? Yeah baby.
Well, I can get that all at Rutter's, which has even better food than Sheetz, but is pretty much limited to York County PA. There are a couple with truck parking that I always stop at when passing by.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on July 26, 2015, 07:37:13 PM
Quote from: briantroutman on July 22, 2015, 03:06:59 PMAlmost any topping is available on any item, and there's ridiculously large number of odd combinations you could create.
Where other than Sheetz can I get a burger with pepperoni, bacon, egg and ranch? Yeah baby.
Well, I can get that all at Rutter's, which has even better food than Sheetz, but is pretty much limited to York County PA. There are a couple with truck parking that I always stop at when passing by.
But that probably means you are driving on the Pennsylvania section of I-83, a freeway only
slightly better than I-70 between Washington, Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Turnpike entrance at New Stanton.
Those being the worst and next-to-worst sections of freeway in the United States (IMO, even the
Cross-Bronx Expressway is better).
Quote from: slorydn1 on July 22, 2015, 01:45:57 PM
What's a Wawa? (LOL)
I always thought that was what my little brother called the bottle when he first started to talk circa 1976.
I thought similarly (a toddler trying to say
"water") when I moved to the Delaware Valley from New England 25 years ago.
I live about 3 miles from the original Folsom, Delaware County, PA
Wawa store; that one's slated to be replaced by a larger store w/a gas station at the intersection of MacDade Blvd. & PA 420.
Wawa's Corporate
"University" Headquarters (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.905827,-75.45391,3a,75y,280.54h,87.86t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sEDdKNHxW3dcumDDdNced6g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1) are located along US 1 in Lima (Delaware County).
There's even (long range) plans for SEPTA to revive a portion of its long-closed West Chester Regional Rail line (old R3) from Elwyn (its current terminus) to a station near US 1 and the Wawa headquarters that is indeed called
Wawa. When that happens; the line will be referred to as (no joke) the
Media-Wawa line.
Wawa was named for a small unicorporated town in Delaware County, PA.
Anyway, if you have been to one you will see how many people patronize the place. Since they marketed here in Florida several dozen stores opened in Orlando, Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Pete, For Myers, and now on the I-95 corridor in Brevard and Indian River Counties because of the demand for it.
It may not be nationwide, but its customer count is probably higher than other food chains nationwide which is why it gets the crown. I must buy from in there once a day as their soups, sandwiches, coffee, pretzels, and even the new Peanut Butter Shake are all awesome!
Sheetz to offer new line of specialty coffee in hope to outcompete Wawa (http://www.post-gazette.com/life/dining/2015/08/25/Sheetz-to-offer-new-line-of-specialty-coffee-in-hope-to-outcompete-Wawa/stories/201508250175)
I don't drink coffee, so I don't care that much personally. Since the stores don't directly compete much at all location wise, it seems to be all about the rankings.
Overall I prefer Sheetz and will try their new coffee, but for the most part I'll stick with Wawa because there's a Wawa on my way to work and not Sheetz.
There's a Casey's General Store (actually, 3) in this little town in Missouri (pop. 3,021) me and my family visit from time to time. It's nicer than any other convenience store I've visited in my travels on either side of the Mississippi (especially Connecticut-only chain? 7-11. Eww).
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on August 25, 2015, 09:13:00 PM
There's a Casey's General Store (actually, 3) in this little town in Missouri (pop. 3,021) me and my family visit from time to time. It's nicer than any other convenience store I've visited in my travels on either side of the Mississippi (especially Connecticut-only chain? 7-11. Eww).
7-11 is a national convenience store chain, the most widespread one I know.
I never found Casey's to be very good. Firmly average.
I think an average Sheetz or Wawa would make one forget Casey's quickly. My favorite Sheetz (https://goo.gl/maps/gS1nl) that I've been to would make you ask why these were called the same kind of store.
Quote from: Crazy Volvo Guy on July 26, 2015, 07:37:13 PMWell, I can get that all at Rutter's, which has even better food than Sheetz, but is pretty much limited to York County PA. There are a couple with truck parking that I always stop at when passing by.
Just north of Carlisle, PA there is both a
Sheetz and a
Rutters along US 11, just south of the PA Turnpike (I-76) interchange within close proximity to each other. Both of those attract many travelers heading to/from the various events at the fairgrounds.
There used to be a
Turkey Hill (a Lancaster County-PA-based convenient store/gas station chain) along that stretch as well but this particular location closed several years ago.
In Lancaster County, PA; one encounters
Wawa,
Sheetz and
Turkey Hill.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on August 25, 2015, 11:59:42 PM7-11 is a national convenience store chain, the most widespread one I know.
In the 5 southeastern PA counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery & Philadelphia); most
7-Elevens are pretty much gone due to fierce competition from the locally-based
Wawa.
Warning! The below is
not politically correct.
For decades,
7-Elevens and other stores like them have gotten the (negative) stigma/stereotype of always being run/employed by those whose English-speaking/comprehension skills weren't/aren't always the greatest (one old joke was that one needed an interpreter when going to a
7-Eleven).
In contrast & FWIW, one does not encounter such at any
Wawa,
Sheetz,
Rutters and/or
Quick Chek; at least the ones I visited. Not dealing with language-barriers while shopping is probably one
unofficial/unpublished reason why the above-mentioned stores get higher marks than ones like
7-Eleven.
I have only been to Sheetz in 1984 when I visited Altoona as they were the store around then. I cannot remember much except the youngster who worked the cashier did not even know that the street I was asking him to help me find was the side street next to his store.
Also a bartender I once knew at a bar I frequent, who is from Winchester, VA, told me that Sheetz is all around that part of VA and says they are good.
I will take the word of those who like them, but I am still not going to rule out Wawa.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on August 25, 2015, 11:59:42 PM
Quote from: TravelingBethelite on August 25, 2015, 09:13:00 PM
There's a Casey's General Store (actually, 3) in this little town in Missouri (pop. 3,021) me and my family visit from time to time. It's nicer than any other convenience store I've visited in my travels on either side of the Mississippi (especially Connecticut-only chain? 7-11. Eww).
7-11 is a national convenience store chain, the most widespread one I know.
I never found Casey's to be very good. Firmly average.
I think an average Sheetz or Wawa would make one forget Casey's quickly. My favorite Sheetz (https://goo.gl/maps/gS1nl) that I've been to would make you ask why these were called the same kind of store.
I meant that 7-11 is the only 'big' chain (7-11, Sheetz, Wawa, etc.) in our area.
Quote from: roadman65 on August 26, 2015, 12:32:02 PM
Also a bartender I once knew at a bar I frequent, who is from Winchester, VA, told me that Sheetz is all around that part of VA and says they are good.
There are several Sheetz stores in metropolitan Winchester, Va. I can name two immediately - one on the east side of town, on Va. 7 (right side when going west) a few blocks east of I-81. That one is especially nice.
There's also one on U.S. 50/U.S. 522/U.S. 17 (Millwood Avenue) south of downtown, some blocks west of I-81.
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on July 25, 2015, 02:11:45 PM
Quote from: jakeroot on July 23, 2015, 07:22:54 PM
Exactly the reason not to believe the poll. An east coast chain cannot be the entire country's favorite.
I suspect there's some jealousy here in not being able to grab a Wawa meatball classic out on the west coast.
Never had one, so I've no clue what's even being talked about. I went to one Wawa once, and it merely reminded me of the now-former Gas City convenience stores we had here (until they were bought by Circle K & Speedway). However, I can't imagine a convenience store sandwich being the equal of anything from an actual sandwich shop such as Potbelly's, Subway, Jimmy John's, Mr. Submarine, etc.
Actually the Wawa's in Florida actually have a big kitchen unlike 7 Eleven, Circle K, Speedway, and Racetrac, so yes they are as good if not better,
Yes you cannot say that Wawa is number one outside of their markets, but if they have more customers than any other regional chain, considering all regions counted, than you could claim that fact.
However, how do the Nieson's on TV work without surveying every household in America? They take specific counts from certain areas that are strategically picked out and claim that they could be accurate with those they do not count. Apparently, even marketing strategies for nationwide chains are that way too. The corporations pick certain areas to try out a new product, and if it goes well or not determines how the rest of America will buy.
Does not make sense to me, but to a Harvard Grad it does as someone with a PHD came out with that way of distributing and research and it is accepted in the marketing community, especially on TV.
In what seems to be regular Q&A articles in the Philly Inquirer regarding Wawa, this week's column talks with Wawa's Chief Executive about, among other things, surprising competitors when it comes to one aspect of the business (hint: it's not other convenience stores), and Wawas where you will often find Sheetz' CEO grabbing something to eat and drink.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20160522_Chris_Gheysens.html
Well Wawa has grown on me since I have been in eastern PA quite a bit (I think their subs are slightly better), but Sheetz seems to have better prices. (so I guess it is a toss-up for me at this point)
I have been in both Wawa and Sheetz when traveling. I was impressed by both. In the Atlanta area, I would vote QuikTrip as the best with RaceTrac a close second. Both chains have been upgrading their stores at a furious pace in recent months. They are becoming more like Wawa and Sheetz.
As I said earlier in the thread, I have been to neither Wawa nor Sheetz. Hell, most of those east-coast brands, I have never heard of.
That said, a new chain, called Tahoma, is popping up in the Tacoma, WA area, courtesy of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. They have two brands: Tahoma Market, and Tahoma Express. The former has a much larger building and selection, though it still retains the gas-station feel.
Currently, these are my favorite convenience stores. They have a nice color palette, are very clean, and have a nice deli:
Tahoma Market:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.helixdesigngroup.net%2Ffiles%2Flibrary%2Ftahoma-market-9663_gf.jpg&hash=741f7ff56765f5adbd06e19d8f40eb313695a7ed)
Tahoma Express:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-media3.fl.yelpcdn.com%2Fbphoto%2FTtOidRvcKvO1EDpXnUYsjQ%2Fo.jpg&hash=dc375bbc717f5bd10bed4cea5664b80f4e971c86)
I still prefer Sheetz overall, but I like Wawa's coffee better and there's a Wawa on my commute.
We had Wawa in Connecticut once...had to be some time in the 1990s maybe?
I've never been to a Sheetz.
Amazingly, Wawa was hard to find the last time I was in Center City Philadelphia (January 15th-16th)! There used to be one at Arch and 11th by the Pennsylvania Convention Center, but that's long gone now.
The last non-Philadelphia Wawa I went to? Elkton, MD on MD Route 279, corner of Fletchwood Road (MD Route 277). The place looked fairly new and didn't sell lottery (as of my visit in June of 2014). The one major note with that location? It's no more than 500 feet from the Delaware state line. :-P
WaWa is okay, I generally like the selection of drinks but I'm just kind of neutral on the sandwiches. The biggest issue that I run into with almost any WaWa is that they are packed with tons of cars at the pumps and parking spaces. I've never been a big fan of having to wait to park at a gas station which usually gravitates my business to 7/11 or Circle K as a result.
It has come to my attention that Royal Farms, Sheetz, and WaWa all have locations in Westminster, Maryland.
Does anyone know how their competition is going?
In the Boise area, the only C-store chains we have are:
Jackson's (West coast regional, primarily northwest)
Maverik (Mountain West regional)
Stinker (Idaho only)
And then a few very small chains/independents like Gemstop (14 locations)
I'm not counting truck stops like Flying J or TA
We don't even have 7-11 :confused:
Hard to pick a favorite, they all are pretty dang similar (and fairly unremarkable). Probably Maverik if I had to pick. But Jackson's is closer to home so I go there the most.
No Circle Ks in Idaho anymore?
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on May 21, 2016, 09:12:10 PM
We had Wawa in Connecticut once...had to be some time in the 1990s maybe?
All the stores that are Krauszer's were once Wawa. Also used to be one on the CCSU campus when I went there right next to the plaza on Stanley St where Dunkin and Subway (which were Whole Donut and Blimpie's when I was there) are. It's now an independent. Guess Wawa pulled out to focus more on their gas station concept stores. Cumby's has the corner of the market in New England, it seems, when it comes to gas stations with quality convenience stores that offer decent prepared foods and coffee (and their coffee is as good as Dunkin for 99 cents; only problem is the nearest Cumby's is 10 minutes from me and I pass 2 Dunkins to get there).
I've been to Sheetz a few times in the Lancaster/Reading area, and one on the Pulaski Highway in Joppatowne, MD. Clean, well organized, great selection in their coolers and soda fountain. Never tried the Made to Order stuff. As far as Wawa, I lived in Philly for a year, and there was one a block from my place. Always cost me a lot of pocket change to go there with the resident panhandler on duty. Their newer stores are nice, and their iced coffee is great. Wish they'd come back to CT.
Quote from: Rothman on May 30, 2018, 11:11:11 PM
No Circle Ks in Idaho anymore?
None that I'm aware of. And I couldn't find any with the locator on their website (though it only searches within 50 miles, I tried a handful of Idaho cities). They're definitely fairly common in Oregon and Washington though.
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on May 21, 2016, 09:12:10 PM
We had Wawa in Connecticut once...had to be some time in the 1990s maybe?
Bold emphasis added to the below-quote.
Quote from: Wiki Account of the Wawa companyWawa operates stores in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Wawa's territory once stretched into New York and Connecticut, but in the late 1990s, the decision was made to abandon the franchised stores in New York metropolitan area and New England, as it was too competitive. The abandoned stores were re-branded when they were sold to Krauszer's (in Connecticut) and a variety of other convenience retailers, but most are still recognizable as they retain their distinctive "Wawa" design.
Wiki account of the Wawa company
Quote from: doorknob60 on May 31, 2018, 01:19:00 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 30, 2018, 11:11:11 PM
No Circle Ks in Idaho anymore?
None that I'm aware of. And I couldn't find any with the locator on their website (though it only searches within 50 miles, I tried a handful of Idaho cities). They're definitely fairly common in Oregon and Washington though.
Huh. I thought the cruise route in Rexburg started and ended at Circle Ks when I was at college there. Probably Maveriks now.
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 01, 2018, 10:30:28 AM
Quote from: Wiki Account of the Wawa companyWawa's territory once stretched into New York and Connecticut, but in the late 1990s, the decision was made to abandon the franchised stores in New York metropolitan area and New England, as it was too competitive.
I wonder to what extent Wawa's lack of competitiveness at that time was due to lack of differentiation of its stores. I didn't have much experience with Wawa prior to about 2005-2010, but of the few hazy recollections I have of Wawa stores in the '90s, I believe they were pretty typical of '70s-'80s convenience stores: A small rectangular box on a neighborhood street–sometimes with a few gas pumps in front, but frequently with none. I don't recall any made-to-order food and beverage operation at that time, and that's arguably the core of what makes Wawa a regional favorite today. And the expansive, bright, airy superstores that are now a Wawa hallmark seem to have been built mostly after 2000.
To anyone with memories of Wawa over the years: When did Wawa launch the made-to-order food operation, and when did the company transition from small neighborhood stores like
this to super-Wawas like
this?
As a point of reference, my hometown got its first Sheetz around 1997 or so, and while somewhat small by today's Sheetz/Wawa standards, it was the first such super-convenience store in the area and did have (if I recall correctly) a made-to-order food operation as well–might have been on a touch-screen CRT.
Quote from: briantroutman on June 02, 2018, 01:06:52 PM
To anyone with memories of Wawa over the years: When did Wawa launch the made-to-order food operation, and when did the company transition from small neighborhood stores like this (https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/wawa.jpg) to super-Wawas like this (http://image.delcotimes.com/storyimage/DC/20160126/NEWS/160129690/AR/0/AR-160129690.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667)?
According to the earlier-post Wiki-link, Wawa's first store with a gas station came about circa 1996 but such was a new facility (not a replacement for an older store). The retrofits and/or relocations (for more space) of the older stores (including the ones in southern Delco) convened within the last 10 to 15 years or so depending on location.
As far as making food to order ops. I believe they've been making sandwiches since at least the early 1990s. When I first moved to southern Delco nearly 28 years ago; I would periodically order a sandwich at the Morton Wawa (along PA 420). Not sure when they started offering
hot food. I'm guessing late 90s to early 2000s.
Quote from: briantroutman on June 02, 2018, 01:06:52 PM
To anyone with memories of Wawa over the years: When did Wawa launch the made-to-order food operation, and when did the company transition from small neighborhood stores like this (https://cdn10.phillymag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/wawa.jpg) to super-Wawas like this (http://image.delcotimes.com/storyimage/DC/20160126/NEWS/160129690/AR/0/AR-160129690.jpg&maxh=400&maxw=667)?
As a point of reference, my hometown got its first Sheetz around 1997 or so, and while somewhat small by today's Sheetz/Wawa standards, it was the first such super-convenience store in the area and did have (if I recall correctly) a made-to-order food operation as well–might have been on a touch-screen CRT.
Quote from: PHLBOS on June 04, 2018, 09:06:25 AM
As far as making food to order ops. I believe they've been making sandwiches since at least the early 1990s. When I first moved to southern Delco nearly 28 years ago; I would periodically order a sandwich at the Morton Wawa (along PA 420). Not sure when they started offering hot food. I'm guessing late 90s to early 2000s.
Growing up in SE PA, I went to college in Western PA 1990-1994, and Sheetz did have their made-to-order menu, though not quite as extensive. There were order pads and golf pencils where you would check boxes to place your order. Early on in winter and summer breaks, I remember thinking that it was a shame that Wawa didn't do the same, and then soon after that thought, they did, so early 1990s seems about right.
Sheetz has always been ahead of the curve vs Wawa, though they are close, in terms of their offerings and options.
I'm partial to the Amoroso rolls (grew up on them), though, so I always preferred Wawa's hoagies from that standpoint, until Wawa started making their own rolls in house a few years ago. Since I have sentimental memories from both (Wawa is home, Sheetz is college), I'm one of the rare ones that sit on the fence about which one is better.