I see the Wawa food chain that operates out of Chester County, PA that has stores throughout Delaware, Maryland, parts of New Jersey, PA, and VA will move to a new market area in Florida. One I know will open across from Sea World on Central Florida Parkway in Orlando, and the other (that I have seen) is going up on John Young Parkway and Silver Star Road.
I heard 300 stores will open in the Sunshine State. 7 eleven will have strong competition as I heard from many South Jersey residents that Wawa kicks ass and I know for fact that their gas is one of the most cheapest in Virginia along the I-95 corridor.
Does anyone have experiences with this chain? Is it as good as they say and better than 7 eleven? :spin:
Wawa's not bad, but Sheetz is better.
Because if there's one thing we really, really need here it's more gas stations and convenience stores! Yay! Now 7-11, CircleK, RaceTrac, Kangaroo, and all of the hundreds of generic gas station stores will have some real competition! It's not like they all sell the same sodas, beer, lottery tickets, and beef jerkey or anything. And it's not like people choose them based on what's closest or anything.
I was introduced to their coffee brand by Alex and his sister December 2008 and have been hooked ever since. The flavors I have tried are all pretty good (smooth and rich in taste and quality). In fact I have a bag of their coffee in my kitchen pantry and some at work. Every time I am in that part of the country, I always choose going to WaWa over other stores (for gas, coffee, etc.) As far as their deli sandwiches, I have not tried any yet, but I have friends who live near WaWa's that say they are really good as well.
If I had my choice of convenient stores and knew that a WaWa was near by, I would choose it over everything else. It will definitely be a stop I make next time I am in central Florida, even if its just for a cup of coffee. :coffee: :nod:
I'm fortunate to be in walking distance of two Wawa's and their HQ over in Lima. Hope you enjoy them, Florida ;-)
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2012, 07:32:40 PM
Wawa's not bad, but Sheetz is better.
Agreed. I find Wawa's food selection to be limited when compared to Sheetz.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 24, 2012, 10:41:47 PM
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2012, 07:32:40 PM
Wawa's not bad, but Sheetz is better.
Agreed. I find Wawa's food selection to be limited when compared to Sheetz.
So wawa has only 3 brands of beef jersey and 2 types of gas station frozen burritos then? Or is their chip aisle is 6 inches shorter?
I really don't get convenience store loyalty, although I will give a few of the 7-11's around here credit for stocking a small selection of craft beer. CircleK's walk in beer coolers are neat, but it's full of the same, generic beer as anywhere else, just in larger quantities.
Both Sheetz and Wawa have a made-to-order food section, with subs, hot dogs, breakfast, etc, but Sheetz has more items on its menu (pizza, wings with choice of sauce) and I personally like the taste better. They also started a loyalty card program recently that saves a few cents on gas and gains access to special deals on food or coffee. I'm not sure if Wawa does that yet or not.
Edit: There's a whole topic about Sheetz here. (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=3261.0)
Quote from: realjd on March 24, 2012, 08:35:06 PM
Because if there's one thing we really, really need here it's more gas stations and convenience stores! Yay! Now 7-11, CircleK, RaceTrac, Kangaroo, and all of the hundreds of generic gas station stores will have some real competition! It's not like they all sell the same sodas, beer, lottery tickets, and beef jerkey or anything. And it's not like people choose them based on what's closest or anything.
+7: Insightful and sarcastic. You made my morning.
You forgot Speedway! I stopped in their places when visiting Columbus and Indianapolis. I had a Wawa across the street from my Philadelphia hotel in Center City recently, too. :)
I'm fairly certain that there were a couple of Wawa stores here in Connecticut until the early 1990s or so. We had one close to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain and one in Newington on Kelsey Street, very close to the New Britain city line. I think some other former locations became Krauser's, one of which is on Main Street in East Hartford.
Isn't wawa the fail trombone sound?
Quote from: NE2 on March 25, 2012, 01:19:55 PM
Isn't wawa the fail trombone sound?
No, that's wawawaaaaaaa
Quote from: realjd on March 24, 2012, 08:35:06 PM
Because if there's one thing we really, really need here it's more gas stations and convenience stores! Yay! Now 7-11, CircleK, RaceTrac, Kangaroo, and all of the hundreds of generic gas station stores will have some real competition! It's not like they all sell the same sodas, beer, lottery tickets, and beef jerkey or anything. And it's not like people choose them based on what's closest or anything.
Circle K has better fountain specials than Kangaroo or Tom Thumb/Kroger. ;)
Quote from: realjd on March 24, 2012, 08:35:06 PM
Because if there's one thing we really, really need here it's more gas stations and convenience stores! Yay! Now 7-11, CircleK, RaceTrac, Kangaroo, and all of the hundreds of generic gas station stores will have some real competition! It's not like they all sell the same sodas, beer, lottery tickets, and beef jerkey or anything. And it's not like people choose them based on what's closest or anything.
Exactly.
The biggest problem in Florida was that many gas stations disappeared in the wake of the changes to the underground storage tanks. Sometime in 2006 or so, some law was enacted to make sure nothing was leaking into the ground. Many owners just nixed their sites altogether, even sites that seemed to have plenty of traffic.
If they pick up some if those old sites, then I'm all for it...some of them have become eyesores. On the other hand, corporations on the up and up prefer new sites, for that clean, streamlined look that bears the company fascia and logo specifications/dimensions yada yada...
Quote from: US71 on March 26, 2012, 05:58:21 AM
Circle K has better fountain specials than Kangaroo or Tom Thumb/Kroger. ;)
All the gas stations around here will fill just about any size cup for around $1.00, give or take a quarter. I regularly take my 50-some ounce "X-treme Gulp" thermos mug from 7-11 and fill it at the CircleK near where I work.
Quote from: formulanone on March 26, 2012, 08:44:23 AM
Quote from: realjd on March 24, 2012, 08:35:06 PM
Because if there's one thing we really, really need here it's more gas stations and convenience stores! Yay! Now 7-11, CircleK, RaceTrac, Kangaroo, and all of the hundreds of generic gas station stores will have some real competition! It's not like they all sell the same sodas, beer, lottery tickets, and beef jerkey or anything. And it's not like people choose them based on what's closest or anything.
Exactly.
The biggest problem in Florida was that many gas stations disappeared in the wake of the changes to the underground storage tanks. Sometime in 2006 or so, some law was enacted to make sure nothing was leaking into the ground. Many owners just nixed their sites altogether, even sites that seemed to have plenty of traffic.
If they pick up some if those old sites, then I'm all for it...some of them have become eyesores. On the other hand, corporations on the up and up prefer new sites, for that clean, streamlined look that bears the company fascia and logo specifications/dimensions yada yada...
I saw lots of abandoned/re-purposed older stations in Pensacola last week. I saw a few Circle K's that appeared to be older stations, but Tom Thumb, Raceway, etc were all spiffy & shiny like new builds.
Quote from: US71 on March 26, 2012, 11:14:21 AM
I saw lots of abandoned/re-purposed older stations in Pensacola last week. I saw a few Circle K's that appeared to be older stations, but Tom Thumb, Raceway, etc were all spiffy & shiny like new builds.
There are a surprising amount of them that failed because of new policy formulanone cited about underground storage tanks. A few continued to operate the convenience store aspect of the station, but those eventually succumbed to lack of business, leaving abandoned businesses dotting US 98, Florida 87, etc.
As for Wawa, I grew up with them, and almost preferred them when they did not have the gas pumps standard at every store (which makes them a madhouse at times now). Nothing more would take care of a 2 am craving for food then a made-to-order Wawa sub. I am not sure how their food is now, but in the 90s and early 2000s, it was quite decent.
There's a third one going up at the triangle of Hoffner/Narcoossee/Old Goldenrod/New Goldenrod. I'm excited for it because it's something new. Kangaroos are usually dirty. Mobil has merged with 7-11, leaving me with no more Nilla Wafer Cappuccino. BP/ampm is okay. Circle K is blah. This leaves Racetrac as usually the only place where I stop.
Quote from: florida on March 26, 2012, 07:32:03 PM
There's a third one going up at the triangle of Hoffner/Narcoossee/Old Goldenrod/New Goldenrod. I'm excited for it because it's something new. Kangaroos are usually dirty. Mobil has merged with 7-11, leaving me with no more Nilla Wafer Cappuccino. BP/ampm is okay. Circle K is blah. This leaves Racetrac as usually the only place where I stop.
But they all sell the same junk...
I don't care about the junk they sell, it's always the coffee stand that gets my attention.
I'm not much of a coffee guy, and when I do drink it I drink it black, but for my money, the best quick coffee is at Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds. Gas station coffee never really did it for me. Is theirs somehow different?
If I'm driving around in northern climates in cold weather, then coffee at gas stations makes sense, especially after standing in place for five minutes while the tank fills up. But in Florida, that's rarely an issue...typically, I'll have a cold energy drink to get my caffeine fix.
Quote from: Takumi on March 24, 2012, 07:32:40 PM
Wawa's not bad, but Sheetz is better.
My first thought when I saw this thread was Sheetz vs. Wawa. I've only ever been to Sheetz (it was really good!), but there's already a Sheetz thread.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 25, 2012, 01:25:14 PM
Quote from: NE2 on March 25, 2012, 01:19:55 PM
Isn't wawa the fail trombone sound?
No, that's wawawaaaaaaa
See http://www.sadtrombone.com (http://www.sadtrombone.com).
Quote from: formulanone on April 17, 2012, 09:08:32 PM
If I'm driving around in northern climates in cold weather, then coffee at gas stations makes sense, especially after standing in place for five minutes while the tank fills up. But in Florida, that's rarely an issue...typically, I'll have a cold energy drink to get my caffeine fix.
I still like my coffee no matter how hot the weather is. I will,, though, drink less in Summer, but need my charge from that. Energy drinks do not interest me as much as it does most people. Nonetheless, cannot wait for them to open this July!
I suppose I should note that between my home, hotel, workplace, and the airplane, I've usually had my fill of coffee just about any day of the week!
I wonder how they compare with QuikTrip, which are the best gasoline/convenience stores in the Atlanta area.
Quote from: roadman65 on April 29, 2012, 10:01:04 AM
Quote from: formulanone on April 17, 2012, 09:08:32 PM
If I'm driving around in northern climates in cold weather, then coffee at gas stations makes sense, especially after standing in place for five minutes while the tank fills up. But in Florida, that's rarely an issue...typically, I'll have a cold energy drink to get my caffeine fix.
I still like my coffee no matter how hot the weather is. I will,, though, drink less in Summer, but need my charge from that. Energy drinks do not interest me as much as it does most people. Nonetheless, cannot wait for them to open this July!
I'll second this. I just can't do energy drinks, they are too caustic on my stomach.
Quote from: florida on May 01, 2012, 11:02:59 PM
I'll second this. I just can't do energy drinks, they are too caustic on my stomach.
I've never had one of those energy drinks (Monster, NOS, Five-Hour Energy, etc.). I can't imagine that they would taste very good at all.
Quote from: hbelkins on May 02, 2012, 09:28:17 AM
Quote from: florida on May 01, 2012, 11:02:59 PM
I'll second this. I just can't do energy drinks, they are too caustic on my stomach.
I've never had one of those energy drinks (Monster, NOS, Five-Hour Energy, etc.). I can't imagine that they would taste very good at all.
They're just highly caffeinated sodas. Some are better than others. Red Bull and Monster are some of the better tasting ones IMO. I tend to stick to the diet ones though since I want the caffeine but not the empty sugar calories.
I just visited one near the Philadelphia International Airport and I liked the Coffee and Pretzels. Both tasted good and the price was right. Large restrooms unlike 7 Eleven which has only one toilet. These have three and people coming in and out of the store constantly. Also, I liked the way you order your deli sandwiches on the touch screen, pay for it, then pick it up when your number is called showing that you purchased it before they give it to you.
I cannot wait until they open here in Florida.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 23, 2012, 06:32:08 PM
I just visited one near the Philadelphia International Airport and I liked the Coffee and Pretzels. Both tasted good and the price was right. Large restrooms unlike 7 Eleven which has only one toilet. These have three and people coming in and out of the store constantly. Also, I liked the way you order your deli sandwiches on the touch screen, pay for it, then pick it up when your number is called showing that you purchased it before they give it to you.
I cannot wait until they open here in Florida.
There's another chain of fast-food (and usually gasoline) stores, also based in Pennsylvania, called Sheetz, which is quite similar to WaWa.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on June 23, 2012, 06:51:16 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 23, 2012, 06:32:08 PM
I just visited one near the Philadelphia International Airport and I liked the Coffee and Pretzels. Both tasted good and the price was right. Large restrooms unlike 7 Eleven which has only one toilet. These have three and people coming in and out of the store constantly. Also, I liked the way you order your deli sandwiches on the touch screen, pay for it, then pick it up when your number is called showing that you purchased it before they give it to you.
I cannot wait until they open here in Florida.
There's another chain of fast-food (and usually gasoline) stores, also based in Pennsylvania, called Sheetz, which is quite similar to WaWa.
Yeah, I have seen them around Altoona.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 23, 2012, 06:55:48 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on June 23, 2012, 06:51:16 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 23, 2012, 06:32:08 PM
I just visited one near the Philadelphia International Airport and I liked the Coffee and Pretzels. Both tasted good and the price was right. Large restrooms unlike 7 Eleven which has only one toilet. These have three and people coming in and out of the store constantly. Also, I liked the way you order your deli sandwiches on the touch screen, pay for it, then pick it up when your number is called showing that you purchased it before they give it to you.
I cannot wait until they open here in Florida.
There's another chain of fast-food (and usually gasoline) stores, also based in Pennsylvania, called Sheetz, which is quite similar to WaWa.
Yeah, I have seen them around Altoona.
They can also be found in Md., Va. and W.Va. (and probably several other states).
I see another one common in Northern New Jersey making it big, but not leaving the Garden State: Quick Chek.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 23, 2012, 06:55:48 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on June 23, 2012, 06:51:16 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on June 23, 2012, 06:32:08 PM
I just visited one near the Philadelphia International Airport and I liked the Coffee and Pretzels. Both tasted good and the price was right. Large restrooms unlike 7 Eleven which has only one toilet. These have three and people coming in and out of the store constantly. Also, I liked the way you order your deli sandwiches on the touch screen, pay for it, then pick it up when your number is called showing that you purchased it before they give it to you.
I cannot wait until they open here in Florida.
There's another chain of fast-food (and usually gasoline) stores, also based in Pennsylvania, called Sheetz, which is quite similar to WaWa.
Yeah, I have seen them around Altoona.
There's already a thread about Sheetz, which ended up being colonized by Wawa. (Not that I'm one of those people who objects to duplicate threads - just a point of information.) I find other regions' stores - at least the ones I've encountered...inadequate. Some of the newer QuickCheks are nice too, but I grew up in a town in New Jersey where there's been a QuickChek forever, and checkout was usually so slow I used to say they ought to change their name.
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on March 25, 2012, 11:52:22 AM
You forgot Speedway! I stopped in their places when visiting Columbus and Indianapolis. I had a Wawa across the street from my Philadelphia hotel in Center City recently, too. :)
I'm fairly certain that there were a couple of Wawa stores here in Connecticut until the early 1990s or so. We had one close to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain and one in Newington on Kelsey Street, very close to the New Britain city line. I think some other former locations became Krauser's, one of which is on Main Street in East Hartford.
Don't know about Connecticut, but there was a Wawa ages ago two blocks from my grandmother on Staten Island, so they may have had more of a presence in the New York area than they do now. Now they seem to be concentrating on points south of Philadelphia - even upstate Pennsylvania they seem to be mostly leaving to Sheetz. And in turn, there's not a Sheetz within 50 miles of Philadelphia. (Unless Morgantown is within that limit, just.)
Quote from: hbelkins on May 02, 2012, 09:28:17 AM
Quote from: florida on May 01, 2012, 11:02:59 PM
I'll second this. I just can't do energy drinks, they are too caustic on my stomach.
I've never had one of those energy drinks (Monster, NOS, Five-Hour Energy, etc.). I can't imagine that they would taste very good at all.
They don't. Thus why I prefer Five-Hour Energy: it's over in two sips.
Coffee and Mountain Dew simply don't cut the mustard sometimes when you work 1am to 8am. Especially during those times when you had to ruin your sleep schedule because some dumbass scheduled a meeting for 3pm when you need to be asleep...
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 23, 2012, 07:17:44 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on May 02, 2012, 09:28:17 AM
Quote from: florida on May 01, 2012, 11:02:59 PM
I'll second this. I just can't do energy drinks, they are too caustic on my stomach.
I've never had one of those energy drinks (Monster, NOS, Five-Hour Energy, etc.). I can't imagine that they would taste very good at all.
They don't. Thus why I prefer Five-Hour Energy: it's over in two sips.
I've had RedBull once. Nasty. Why would anyone drink something that tastes like cough syrup?? >ugh< 5-hour Energy is much better tasting.
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 23, 2012, 07:17:44 PM
Coffee and Mountain Dew simply don't cut the mustard sometimes when you work 1am to 8am. Especially during those times when you had to ruin your sleep schedule because some dumbass scheduled a meeting for 3pm when you need to be asleep...
OMG, you too? Well, 11p-7a is my worktime but still, that 3pm meeting (or 4:30p employee party, or 4-hour CPR training??) is the worst and just stupid. Employee appreciation?? Yeah right. They can have the meetings earlier or I'm not coming to them!! I'm lucky to get a cup of coffee for the whole night at work....
Quote from: cpzilliacus on June 23, 2012, 06:51:16 PM
There's another chain of fast-food (and usually gasoline) stores, also based in Pennsylvania, called Sheetz, which is quite similar to much better than WaWa.
FIFY.
Quote from: hbelkins on June 23, 2012, 10:50:35 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on June 23, 2012, 06:51:16 PM
There's another chain of fast-food (and usually gasoline) stores, also based in Pennsylvania, called Sheetz, which is quite similar to much better than WaWa.
FIFY.
To each his own. I personally think the exact opposite.
I have found Sheetz to have a much more comprehensive menu than Wawa. I've gone into a Wawa more than once, looked at my choices on the touch screen, and left without ordering. They seem to concentrate on cold subs.
Sheetz, on the other hand, has all that Wawa does plus burgers, fried items (fries, mozzarella sticks, mac & cheese bites, etc.) and lots more.
Quote from: hbelkins on June 24, 2012, 12:32:55 PM
I have found Sheetz to have a much more comprehensive menu than Wawa. I've gone into a Wawa more than once, looked at my choices on the touch screen, and left without ordering. They seem to concentrate on cold subs.
Sheetz, on the other hand, has all that Wawa does plus burgers, fried items (fries, mozzarella sticks, mac & cheese bites, etc.) and lots more.
Whatever, we are getting Wawa here for now and their food is awesome! I am not knocking Sheetz, and I am sure they are the same or might be better, just to say that only one is coming for now.
While Sheetz does have more of a variety to choose from, I've noticed that the Wawa food just tastes a lot better to me, especially the coffee. I know since most of everyone on the forum who have been to both likes Sheetz more, they'll disagree with me, yet it's just my opinion.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on June 24, 2012, 12:48:26 PM
While Sheetz does have more of a variety to choose from, I've noticed that the Wawa food just tastes a lot better to me, especially the coffee. I know since most of everyone on the forum who have been to both likes Sheetz more, they'll disagree with me, yet it's just my opinion.
That is what makes us all different. Imagine if others were like ourselves? That might be scary LOL! However, to each is own is what makes us all interesting.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 24, 2012, 01:00:23 PM
Quote from: PennDOTFan on June 24, 2012, 12:48:26 PM
While Sheetz does have more of a variety to choose from, I've noticed that the Wawa food just tastes a lot better to me, especially the coffee. I know since most of everyone on the forum who have been to both likes Sheetz more, they'll disagree with me, yet it's just my opinion.
That is what makes us all different. Imagine if others were like ourselves? That might be scary LOL! However, to each is own is what makes us all interesting.
Absolutely. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Sheetz. I even try to look for them everytime I'm in their territory. I just happen to like Wawa better.
We used to get their milk at Steak and Ale Restaurant in Clark, NJ. I do not know how it came to be as the nearest Sheetz is hundreds of miles away. Nearest I can tell, Steak and Ale was a national chain and somewhere along the lines a distributor of a common denominator served us both someplace in Western, PA or other state where Sheetz is.
Welp, as long as I live in west Texas, I'll never worry about Wawa or Sheetz or any of that mess! I got Stripes here, that'll do it for me. 90% of the locations are clean.. They also have nice variety. But I do wanna go to both of those stores! For now I got Love's though.
BigMatt
Quote from: PennDOTFan on June 24, 2012, 12:48:26 PM
While Sheetz does have more of a variety to choose from, I've noticed that the Wawa food just tastes a lot better to me, especially the coffee. I know since most of everyone on the forum who have been to both likes Sheetz more, they'll disagree with me, yet it's just my opinion.
I don't drink coffee, so I can't use that as a criterion for judging anything. :coffee:
Quote from: hbelkins on March 25, 2012, 01:25:14 PM
Quote from: NE2 on March 25, 2012, 01:19:55 PM
Isn't wawa the fail trombone sound?
No, that's wawawaaaaaaa
I think NE2 is thinking of the adults in Peanuts cartoons. Anyway, my mother and one of her friends rave about Wawa. I went to one in Wilmington, Delaware on my previous trip up north, and I just didn't see what all the hype was about.
:crazy: :-/
I prefer Sheetz. I like the food better, and for some reason I find the layout for most of them to be better thought out. Plus, they almost always have somewhere to sit down and eat if you like.
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on June 24, 2012, 01:45:49 PM
Welp, as long as I live in west Texas, I'll never worry about Wawa or Sheetz or any of that mess! I got Stripes here, that'll do it for me. 90% of the locations are clean.. They also have nice variety. But I do wanna go to both of those stores! For now I got Love's though.
BigMatt
What sort of food does Stripes serve? I have never been in one, but have seen them around Lawton and Altus.
Quote from: roadman65 on June 24, 2012, 01:12:20 PM
We used to get their milk at Steak and Ale Restaurant in Clark, NJ. I do not know how it came to be as the nearest Sheetz is hundreds of miles away. Nearest I can tell, Steak and Ale was a national chain and somewhere along the lines a distributor of a common denominator served us both someplace in Western, PA or other state where Sheetz is.
The nearest Sheetz to Clark (I grew up in a town that borders Clark, actually...northwest of it. But not Westfield) is actually in Bethlehem, Pa. :-)
Distribution may be based near Altoona though - where Sheetz started. I was on the Turnpike between Harrisburg and Bedford yesterday and saw an awful lot of Sheetz trucks heading east.
The first five stores are all open in and around Orlando. The one by Sea World is hopping plenty! The smoothies there at all of these are to die for.
I love the way you place your deli sandwich order on touch screen and the fact that the beer is kept in a walk in cooler. I think this is the start of a new trend in Central Florida.
Quote from: Michael in Philly on June 23, 2012, 07:16:17 PM
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on March 25, 2012, 11:52:22 AM
You forgot Speedway! I stopped in their places when visiting Columbus and Indianapolis. I had a Wawa across the street from my Philadelphia hotel in Center City recently, too. :)
I'm fairly certain that there were a couple of Wawa stores here in Connecticut until the early 1990s or so. We had one close to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain and one in Newington on Kelsey Street, very close to the New Britain city line. I think some other former locations became Krauser's, one of which is on Main Street in East Hartford.
Don't know about Connecticut, but there was a Wawa ages ago two blocks from my grandmother on Staten Island, so they may have had more of a presence in the New York area than they do now. Now they seem to be concentrating on points south of Philadelphia - even upstate Pennsylvania they seem to be mostly leaving to Sheetz. And in turn, there's not a Sheetz within 50 miles of Philadelphia. (Unless Morgantown is within that limit, just.)
All the Krauszer's in CT used to be Wawa. Also a couple more I can think of: in Cromwell right off of I-91 exit 21, and in Rocky Hill near the junction of Routes 3 and 160. Think there were even a couple down in the New Haven area (one on Route 80). The one by CCSU was a hole in the wall compared to the modern Wawas I've been to in the Mid-Atlantic. God, I can go for a cup of their iced coffee right about now. New England doesn't have many great convenience stores (7-11, Cumberland Farms, Fast Freddie's, and X-tra Mart pale compared to Wawa and Sheetz)
I heard that Sheetz is much like Wawa from a girl who was raised in Winchester, VA. I only had dealings with them years ago back in 1984 and 85 when I visited Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, PA. Back then they were like 7 Eleven, but they must of changed over the years if they are better than Wawa as some here say.
Kelly, the bartender at a local pub, says that you get fresh to order deli sandwiches just like Wawa in there and she raves about them. I have to visit Western PA or NW VA to see which is better. For now Wawa is satisfying and the only game in town.
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on June 24, 2012, 01:45:49 PM
Welp, as long as I live in west Texas, I'll never worry about Wawa or Sheetz or any of that mess! I got Stripes here, that'll do it for me. 90% of the locations are clean.. They also have nice variety. But I do wanna go to both of those stores! For now I got Love's though.
BigMatt
West Texas also has Allsup's, which has a reputation for tasty chimichangas. But I've found their cleanliness isn't the greatest.
Quote from: roadman65 on September 16, 2012, 10:19:09 AM
I heard that Sheetz is much like Wawa from a girl who was raised in Winchester, VA. I only had dealings with them years ago back in 1984 and 85 when I visited Horseshoe Curve near Altoona, PA. Back then they were like 7 Eleven, but they must of changed over the years if they are better than Wawa as some here say.
Kelly, the bartender at a local pub, says that you get fresh to order deli sandwiches just like Wawa in there and she raves about them. I have to visit Western PA or NW VA to see which is better. For now Wawa is satisfying and the only game in town.
Sheetz exists in the exurban counties of Maryland and Virginia all around Washington, D.C. (though not close to D.C. itself or even the Capital Beltway, or, for that matter, Baltimore City or the Baltimore Beltway), and mostly on the west side of the region - according to the Sheetz Web site, there are only a few on the east side in Maryland, in California and Great Mills (St. Mary's County) and Joppa (Harford County). Similarly, in Virginia, they are common to the west and southwest of D.C., with a few to the south and (far) southeast of D.C. in places like Fredericksburg, King George (King George County) and Tappahannock (Essex County).
The two busiest ones I have ever seen (based on personal informal observations) are both in Virginia - one on the corner of U.S. 15 and Va. 55 (a block south of I-66) in Haymarket, Prince William County. There's not much in the way of fuel or other services along I-66 to the west of Haymarket until one reaches Linden (Va. 79), and not much to the north of this location along U.S. 15 either. The other super-busy Sheetz I have observed is in Opal, Fauquier County, Va., south of Warrenton, where U.S. 17 diverges from U.S. 29/U.S. 15.
Sheetz seems to avoid any jurisdiction that might possibly have a perception of "big city" problems (probably crime and panhandling, since their all-self-serve pumps would almost certainly be a tempting target for panhandlers wanting to pump fuel (for a "fee")).
Regarding food at Sheetz, I think they are similar to Wawa in many ways. I don't think I have ever seen a Sheetz gas pumps in front (they may exist, but I have never seen one).
Quote from: cpzilliacus on September 24, 2012, 05:56:58 PM
Sheetz exists in the exurban counties of Maryland and Virginia all around Washington, D.C. (though not close to D.C. itself or even the Capital Beltway, or, for that matter, Baltimore City or the Baltimore Beltway), and mostly on the west side of the region - according to the Sheetz Web site, there are only a few on the east side in Maryland, in California and Great Mills (St. Mary's County) and Joppa (Harford County). Similarly, in Virginia, they are common to the west and southwest of D.C., with a few to the south and (far) southeast of D.C. in places like Fredericksburg, King George (King George County) and Tappahannock (Essex County).
The two busiest ones I have ever seen (based on personal informal observations) are both in Virginia - one on the corner of U.S. 15 and Va. 55 (a block south of I-66) in Haymarket, Prince William County. There's not much in the way of fuel or other services along I-66 to the west of Haymarket until one reaches Linden (Va. 79), and not much to the north of this location along U.S. 15 either. The other super-busy Sheetz I have observed is in Opal, Fauquier County, Va., south of Warrenton, where U.S. 17 diverges from U.S. 29/U.S. 15.
Sheetz seems to avoid any jurisdiction that might possibly have a perception of "big city" problems (probably crime and panhandling, since their all-self-serve pumps would almost certainly be a tempting target for panhandlers wanting to pump fuel (for a "fee")).
Regarding food at Sheetz, I think they are similar to Wawa in many ways. I don't think I have ever seen a Sheetz gas pumps in front (they may exist, but I have never seen one).
Sheetz also now has a significant presence throughout North Carolina. I have seen them as far west as Statesville, but I'm sure they're in Hickory by now. I've also seen quite a few in the Triad and Triangle metro areas, but I'm not sure about Charlotte since I'm not quite as familiar with that area, despite living less than two hours away (hey, I haven't lived in SC two years yet!).
Anyway, I heard that Sheetz has chosen Burlington, NC (between the Triad and Triangle) as the future location of their next big distribution center. So I expect they will begin growing more in NC, and hopefully one day expand to SC, though I'm not holding my breath.
The QuikTrip (QT) chain of gas stations has finally expanded up I-85 from Atlanta up to the Greenville/Spartanburg area. They primarily exist in the Atlanta and St. Louis metro areas and probably other parts of MO as well. They don't serve fast food, but they are very clean, have a lot of different coffee varieties, have a good selection of roller grill items, and their gas is Top Tier rated.
Then there's Thornton's, which is very much like QT except their gas isn't Top Tier rated. They've primarily existed in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, but a few years ago they finally expanded into my old stompong grounds of Nashville.