Bacon, egg, cheese on a croissant.
Posted on 10/24/2025 9:49:24 AM PDT by sopo
One of America’s largest convenience store chains, Wawa, boasts a cult-like following, inspiring merch, tattoos, songs and even marriage proposals.
Now Wawa is hoping to expand that powerful customer loyalty found in its core markets into the Midwest and South.
The company — with deep roots in Philadelphia and South Jersey — has built a reputation on fresh, high-quality food and beverages — items not typically associated with gas stations. Its signature hoagies, Sizzli sandwiches and popular limited-time offers such as the Thanksgiving-inspired “Gobbler,” have made Wawa a destination.
As may be, but Buc-ees fills that niche in Texas!
It’s the quality, everything always seems very fresh. (They’ve sometimes had a pulled pork that’s very good, but it’s not always on the menu.)
Another company I used to like that quietly went woke, with green haired cashiers with hog rings wearing pride shirts. I used to always buy their coffee for over 25 years, but its now brown water that is weak as s***. For a while, I would pour some regular in the bottom of a cup and approach the manager and ask- this is your coffee? They would apologize and insist nothing has changed and it must have been a one time mistake. I did it at 4 different stores. Even wrote to corporate and they sent me a $5 gift card. I bring my own coffee from home now, saving my money.
They gotta pay for that new CEO and his jetset weekly travel expense reports!
Folks in Texas love their Buc-ees. Brightly lit. Clean restrooms. Wide variety of of snacks and beverages for the road. Even their sandwiches are said to be good. (I haven’t had one yet.) All sorts of things.
I don’t want to oversell them. But I think they are welcome stops on the road.
Phoenix, Arizona, you say? They must be accepting the challenge to go head-to-head with QT—which I also like.
A great sandwich shop...
Used to have great pastries to go with their excellent coffee, but not anymore... Just fat-free crap...
The first one is going to be just west of Phoenix, in Surprise, I think.
I think QT and Circle K are in their own world. There’s a circle K every one mile in some parts of Phoenix, sometimes in both directions. They are NOT clean. I was also able to answer the eternal question “What comes first, the Circle K or the vagrants”?
Answer: The Circle K. At the 52nd and Van Buren exit off the 202, there was the traditional one guy with a cardboard sign at the end of the ramp. He likely, had franchise rights or something for that exit (west). A brand new Circle K went up 1/4 mile south.
It was beautiful. For about six months.
Now, there is a small congregation of vagrants with their gear. One of the two doors is permanently locked, presumably to reduce quicky shoplifting. The hot foods section is always just about empty and the pizza looks like it was there from the day before ... EVERY day.
Regular items that should be kept in stock, aren’t (e.g. hot dog cardoard trays, XL foam cups). Half of the items on the specials aren’t available (breakfast sandwich, has brown, drink for $4, only there are no hash browns.)
QT usually has cleaner bathrooms, and better overall presentation and better fuel (some Circle Ks in other parts of the country have Shell, whixh is fine).
Bucc-ee’s, I expect, will be a completely different experience.
“But I think they are welcome stops on the road.”
Buc-ee’s seem to sell Pure Gas [E0] at most locations.
The NC/Fla deal didn’t hold up either. We recently got a Wawa. I THINK there might be a Sheetz further down the road from Wawa? Or maybe that location closed due to robberies? Can’t keep up with the closing’s due to robberies anymore. Anyway, there is at least one if not more Wawa’s next town over....along with some Sheetz too.
I’m from Chicago, and Wawa would slay the competition here. I went to one daily when I was in Florida, just for milkshakes with added protein.
Coconut cream pie milkshakes. Delicious.
I use to like WaWa.
Stopped often on my road trips.
Had the misfortune of visiting one in Gainesville Florida. Absolutely the worst service, improperly prepared food, chaotic environment and don’t give a damn attitudes.
I’ve never been to one since.
Wawa won’t come in to where I live b/c of real estate prices (Jupiter, FL). The closest ones are all ghetto West Palm Beach.
I’d welcome my Sheetz friends to Jupiter in a second. Not gonna happen though. No distribution network down here.
Baba Wawa?! She has a store?
(Never heard of this one.)
I’ve been to the Buc-ees in Daytona a few times and it’s amazing. Really like their jerky.
BUT, it’s not convenient, as it’s too large and generates too much traffic. It’s for travelers, not really for locals.
Would I like a giant Wegman’s in my hometown? Sure. But not near where I live. I can drive to my neighborhood Publix by the beach, purchase half and half or coffee, and be back in 10 minutes.
It would take me 10 minutes to find the coffee in a Wegman’s. Bigger is interesting, but not always better.
IFIf you have Royal Farms nearby, try their coffee. Th machine grinds the beans on command, several different flavors( including Blue Mountain, you know what that means , 2 beans/ cup of a regular blend) but they’re all good and freshly, freshly made.
I would add that Publix is hurting Subway and all the other sub chains in the south. Much better sub for less money, and you order it on the app and just walk in and pick it up.
When Wawa added gas pumps here (before it was just a corner store) they followed a pattern: it starts really cheap, they undercut everyone’s prices. People got used to buying it there. Then they ratcheted up the prices, yet people still go for the convenience. They are typically 10+ cents per gallon above the typical gas stations around here.
Bacon, egg, cheese on a croissant.
Wawa hot turkey Gobbler w/ cranberry sauce.
Although Wawa opened their first off-site store in 1964, Wawa started as a dairy farm with a retail store in the Indian settlement town of Wawa, PA, in the 1800s.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.