If I could own any business in the world, it would be Wawa.
In almost every post on this blog, I mentioned Wawa, but I decided that Wawa deserves it’s own dedicated blog post. If there is anything in this world that I am passionate about, Wawa is definitely one of them.
Real time footage of that moment when you leave Penn State for spring break, and finally get to the first Wawa on the way home 🙂
History of Wawa:
Started in 1803 as an iron foundry, Wawa was not always the amazing convenient store that millions know and love today. At the end of the nineteenth century, Wawa owner George Wood began a small dairy farm operation in Waw, Pennsylvania (1902). In the beginning, Wawa company delivered milk to people’s doors and was a huge success. However, the milk delivery business declined in the 1960s. George’s grandson, Graham, then opened up the first Wawa dairy store location in 1964.
The first food market Wawa location was opened in 1968 in Folsam, PA and stores expanded to New Jersey and Delaware in 1968 and 1969, respectively. In the 1970s, they began selling hoagies, which they are so well known for today. The store was a huge success, and by 1972, Wawa opened its 100th store! Six years later, the 200th store opened!
In the 1980s, Wawa repeatedly wins a “Best of Philly” award for coffee. Personally, I would choose wawa coffee (hot or iced) over Dunkin any day of the week. In high school, my brothers and I would repeatedly be late to school just for that Wawa coffee stop.
In 1998, stores expand to Virginia. By 2002, touch screens are installed at every location to make ordering hoagies and other food faster and more efficient. Being born in 1999, I never knew Wawa without these touch screens, and asked my parents what it was like before the touchscreens. My mom said she couldn’t even remember, but my dad explained that you waited in line, and told the worker behind the counter what you wanted on the hoagie- like Subway. I actually cannot imagine Wawa functioning like this, but it thrived anyway.
In 2005, “Gottahava Wawa” is introduced as the new campaign slogan. They have had many campaigns before this, but I remember this one vividly. I can picture the tv commercials and posters of this, and it actually gets me pretty nostalgic, not gonna lie.
In 2012, Wawa opens a store in Florida! And in 2014, Wawa celebrated its 50 year anniversary as a store chain!!
Origins of the Name:
“Wawa” is a Native American word for the Canadian goose that has inhabited the Delaware Valley for centuries. Plus, the original dairy farm was in Wawa, Pennsylvania. The word meaning explains the original and current logo of Wawa being a goose.
old logo
new logo
Fun Wawa Facts:
Hoagie Fest!!!!
This happens every year in the summertime, and is when every 10 inch hoagie (the largest size) is brought down in price to only $4.99! Amazing time of year, highly recommend. The commercials every year for it are pretty cute, too.
The mobile ordering/rewards system. As a self-proclaimed connossieur of rewards programs, I can say that Wawa has one of the best. Once you spend $50 with the app, you receive one of three rewards that you can pick from. The rewards usually are either a free any size hot or iced coffee, a free shortie hoagie, or a free any size fountain drink. Not only this though, Wawa will give you free rewards as part of certain promotions, or simply at random times just for fun! How nice are they??
Wawa is the official hoagie of the Philadelphia Eagles. How many wins can one sentence have??
The ATMs at Wawa have no transaction fee, no matter what bank your debit card is from.
In 2015, Market Force conducted a study in which Wawa resulted in having the highest amount of customer loyalty (68%). Sheetz only had 59% customer loyalty, just saying.
The first Wawa store is still open and operating today!
The first Wawa- 1964
first Wawa store- today
Wawa sells more than 60 million hoagies annually
They also sell more than 195 million cups of coffee per year. Bonus, they have free coffee days multiple times a year and it’s the best. Everyone in town gets really hype about it.
While “Gottahava Wawa” is still the slogan today, past slogans include: “Mama I Luv Wawa,” “People on the Go, Go to Wawa,” and “We Do it Better.”
Wawa is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it the perfect stop after school, before work, after prom, and on long road trips.
Here’s Buzzfeed’s video on why Wawa is the best! (The part about Charlie Manual at 1:22 is super emotional to Philly sports fans)
Bonus: When the biggest Wawa was opened up in Washington, DC a few months ago, the Philadelphian reaction was kinda funny. As a result, Wawa announced they had plans to open an even bigger Wawa in Philly. All good.
If you’re interested in the Philadelphia Eagles, specifically Brent Celek, here he is undercover in a Wawa.
Honestly I loved hearing the history about my favorite place to get food ever. Wawa always brings me back to home as every time my friends and I hang out we go to Wawa to get our typical orders. What was depressing was that this time when I went home for spring break the Wawa in my town was closed almost every day. Damn these storms getting rid of power in my town and knocking down trees to keep Wawa closed. It seemed like very bad timing that one of the few weeks in the year that I can actually get Wawa happened to be one of the few weeks that it was closed. As many people from Wawa territory know, Sheetz is not even close to being a replacement, which is why it was especially disappointing for it to be closed.
As someone also from outside of Philly, I completely relate to your love for Wawa. Even though I don’t drink coffee, I remember stopping for a breakfast sandwich on the way to school whenever they had their 2 for $3 promotion. The 10-inch hoagie is also amazing because it’s the perfect length. I usually go for their chicken cheesesteaks. Also, I have noticed that every Wawa employee is so kind. They have free hot chocolate on the days that they offer free coffee. One time I got the wrong kind (the more expensive one), but I still got it for free! I also do not remember a time where the ordering touchscreens didn’t exist. It’s pretty signature for Wawa. The connection to PA and even Philly is pretty great too. I don’t have Wawa rewards, but I am considering investing. Unlike a lot of the Sheetz fans that say Sheetz is better than Wawa without ever experiencing Wawa, I can undoubtedly say that Wawa is a million times better. I have had Sheetz and the fact that it is even a competition to Wawa is just amusing. Also, I didn’t know about the ATMs, but that is super useful and just another thing to add to the list of greatness about Wawa. Even when I fill up gas at somewhere that is not Wawa, I feel like I’m betraying someone.