Wawa worship despite low-quality gas, mediocre sandwiches, and bad pretzels (Philadelphia: homes, restaurants)

[MisterShipWreck]

I fly from Texas to Philly sometimes - for the Flyers Carnival, or to catch a Flyers game.

There is a WaWa near the hotel I stay at. Only thing around. I have been there, and I like the place

[FKD19124]

low quality gas compared to whom??? Sunoco??

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I like Wawa, just like everyone else. However, I’ve been told by multiple auto mechanics that their gas is substandard. Their soft pretzels are, for the most part, awful. Their sandwiches are so-so; I find their chicken salad and egg salad to be very good, but their Italian hoagies not as good as they should be. And, the bread is not top tier. That being said, they are good when you’re in a hurry.

I guess the point of this post is to see if others agree, and to figure out why the company is worshipped by so many in this region. Shouldn’t they up their game, or don’t they have to, given the aforementioned praise and worship they already receive?

[MB1562]

I'm just glad they've opened up more locations east of Broad so I can avoid the ratchet one at Broad and Walnut now.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by FKD19124

low quality gas compared to whom??? Sunoco??

I’ve been told by numerous mechanics that Exxon, Mobil, Shell, and Costco sell higher quality gas. My car requires Premium and I’ve been told multiple times to not use Wawa/Turkey Hill/Giant has because it’s inferior. My car knocks and pings. I’ve also been told that Sunoco is inferior, which stinks because it is (or was) a locally-based entity.

[Icy Tea]

I hate Wawa. I've gone to the nearest one to me a few times, the last time being five years ago. I've probably been there three or four times in the past fifteen years its been there. And only because its next to my mechanic and I could kill time there during inspections or repair work.
So why do I hate the chain? They're a plague. We had a local restaurant we'd go to regularly on my days off. Nice place, locally owned. They sold to Wawa and it was bulldozed. That was across town. Then they built one near us. There was a wing place and a gas station mini mart next to it and they closed up and sold when Wawa announced their plans and a bank got built there. Like we're not lousy with banks already, I counted over 20 banks in a 2 square mile radius. I loved their wings, now there's no place to get wings this side of town. Then down the road was an historic mansion and horse farm along a busy highway. It was a landmark we'd look for on family shopping trips to the big mall in KOP. Wawa bought it and tore it down, now there's a strip mall complex there with a McDonald's and a Wawa.
Now I heard that Wawa has eyes on another landmark historic mansion and wants to raze it for a location.
I go to Sheetz when I'm on the road and need cheap gas and a sandwich. If I want cheap gas and to buy lottery tickets, there's Turkey Hill. If I want decent gas there are Sunocos. I've been to a Rutter's a few times and they seem pretty good.
I'd stop at a Wawa to get gas in an emergency or if I was starving, that's about it. And there are so many real places to get sandwiches in SE Pa, too many to list.

[FKD19124]

I use wawa gas over sunoco most of the time and my car seems to run fine. I only go to sunoco if I am really low on gas.

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I’ve been told by numerous mechanics that Exxon, Mobil, Shell, and Costco sell higher quality gas. My car requires Premium and I’ve been told multiple times to not use Wawa/Turkey Hill/Giant has because it’s inferior. My car knocks and pings. I’ve also been told that Sunoco is inferior, which stinks because it is (or was) a locally-based entity.

[FKD19124]

Sunoco gas is sucks. I would go to wawa before I went there.

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

I hate Wawa. I've gone to the nearest one to me a few times, the last time being five years ago. I've probably been there three or four times in the past fifteen years its been there. And only because its next to my mechanic and I could kill time there during inspections or repair work.
So why do I hate the chain? They're a plague. We had a local restaurant we'd go to regularly on my days off. Nice place, locally owned. They sold to Wawa and it was bulldozed. That was across town. Then they built one near us. There was a wing place and a gas station mini mart next to it and they closed up and sold when Wawa announced their plans and a bank got built there. Like we're not lousy with banks already, I counted over 20 banks in a 2 square mile radius. I loved their wings, now there's no place to get wings this side of town. Then down the road was an historic mansion and horse farm along a busy highway. It was a landmark we'd look for on family shopping trips to the big mall in KOP. Wawa bought it and tore it down, now there's a strip mall complex there with a McDonald's and a Wawa.
Now I heard that Wawa has eyes on another landmark historic mansion and wants to raze it for a location.
I go to Sheetz when I'm on the road and need cheap gas and a sandwich. If I want cheap gas and to buy lottery tickets, there's Turkey Hill. If I want decent gas there are Sunocos. I've been to a Rutter's a few times and they seem pretty good.
I'd stop at a Wawa to get gas in an emergency or if I was starving, that's about it. And there are so many real places to get sandwiches in SE Pa, too many to list.

[selhars]

Icy Tea, no one MADE those sellers and property owners sell to Wawa. Blame the people who sold out, who apparently wanted money rather than to continue to own a restaurant owner or chicken wing place. They didn't HAVE to sell. Blame them. IF a Royal Farms had bought there, or a family run restaurant would you blame them also? Or you just have something stuck in your craw about Wawa?

[Keroberos]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Do a search on the main NJ board. I think a handful of WaWas were opened in the southern part of North Jersey. Apparently, they feel that they're better off going south. It's just nonsensical that they skipped from VA to FL. I could see them skipping SC & GA.

There are more PA/NJ expats in Florida than in any of those other states.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by selhars

Icy Tea, no one MADE those sellers and property owners sell to Wawa. Blame the people who sold out, who apparently wanted money rather than to continue to own a restaurant owner or chicken wing place. They didn't HAVE to sell. Blame them. IF a Royal Farms had bought there, or a family run restaurant would you blame them also? Or you just have something stuck in your craw about Wawa?

Typical uniformed negative poster. If a church replaced the wing shop would they be bad too? This again all comes down to fear of change.... nothing lasts forever, certainly a wing shop doesn't last forever, they sold the land and Wawa bought it.
Happens all the time. So saying they "hate" Wawa because of that seems beyond ridiculous to me. Moreso just bitter that their wing place is no more.