If you mention the word 'Wawa' in a crowd New Jersey natives you're almost guaranteed to get at least 50 people in perfect harmony saying 'I love Wawa!' Wawa is a New Jersey staple and is a topic that is bound to bring New Jerseyians together. Have you ever stopped and thought about why there is a universal law for Wawa? Well… I have and after some late-night chats and personal research (aka going to Wawa at least once or twice a week) I have come up with 9 reasons why New Jerseyians love Wawa.
#1. Wawa is open all day every day.
With the exception of a few hold outs in middle-of-nowhere towns, every Wawa is open 24/7. It's 3 AM on a Tuesday and you want to get a quesadilla but Taco Bell is closed. Where can you go to get your dilla on?...Wawa. It's 7 AM and the only thing you want is bacon, egg and cheese, but you don't have time for a diner. Where can you go?...Wawa. It's 2 PM and you need a quick snack and a cup of coffee to get you through the day. Where can you go?... Wawa. Wawa is there for you for all of your hunger needs day and night.
#2. Wawas are everywhere.
Besides North Jersey, which should just be an entirely different state, almost every town as a Wawa in next to it. In South Jersey, you can't go 5 miles without finding a Wawa. How can you not love something that is there for you every ten minutes you go?
#3. Wawa Hoagies
I don't know about you but my favorite times of year are My Birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Wawa Hoagiefest. On the functional scale of fairly priced and tastiness, Wawa Hoagies fall at the perfect equilibrium. They are just tasty enough that you don't mind paying $6.00 for one but they are also cheap enough, especially during Hoagiefest, that you don't mind that they use packaged cold cuts and pre-cooked bread. Personally, I never crave a Wawa Hoagie but they always hit the spot when I have them, and for that I thank you Wawa.
#4. Coffee, Coffee and Coffee
Between the $1.00 coffee days, the random free samples and the coffee giveaways, it is no surprise that people are willing to leave their house 5-10 minutes earlier to get Wawa coffee. If the economic factor was not enough to sell you on Wawa coffee, think about this. No matter what time of day it is, when you walk into Wawa you can always smell a freshly brewed pot. Even though I am not a coffee drinker I can appreciate having the guarantee of getting a fresh cup no matter what.
#5. Wawa Gas Stations saved my life.
No lie, one of the best days of my life was when my local Wawa became a Super Wawa with a gas station. Not only was I stoked to be able to pay the same price cash or credit, but I was more excited to no longer have to deal with the creepy old man at my local gas station who asked me to be his wife multiple times (That's a story for another time). Wawa employees are held to exceptional standards. The employees are always kind, attentive, clean, friendly and most importantly, they understand the social norms of a gas fill up interaction. To be honest, when I am getting gas I want to have as little human interaction as possible. I don't mind having a 1 minute polite conversation about how I am and what I need but beyond that I don't want to talk, at all. All I want to sit on my phone scroll through Instagram or respond to the texts I missed because I was driving. Wawa employees get this and don't try to strike up unnecessary conversation or try to convince me that if I went back to Russia with you I would become royalty of your village. And I cannot express enough my gratitude that Wawa gas attendants are friendly but not “too friendly."
#6. All meals are serviced.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, 2nd dinner and 3am munchies, Wawa has them all. Between the pretzels, quesadillas, hoagies, salads, chocolate milk, energy drinks and candy, if you want it, Wawa has got it. I cannot count how many times I was super hungry and equally as lazy and Wawa rescued me from my hunger demons. Me and the people that deal with me thank you from the bottom of our stomachs for satisfying my hunger and making me a nicer person.
#7. Wawas are ALWAYS clean.
I am by no means a germaphobe but nothing grosses me out more than when you go into a place that serves and or sells you food and the establishment is dirty. Unfortunately I face this phenomenon often in many convenience stores, and I often find myself walking in and immediately turning around and leaving. But this is never the case with Wawa. Even the dirtiest of Wawas are still cleaner than most other convenience stores I have been in. Also, I truly appreciate that I can go into a Wawa restroom and not worry about entering the depths of hell when I open the door. And if there is a problem, they clean it immediately! And for this, I give Wawa the golden mop.
#8. Wawa comes in clutch.
Have you ever been waiting in line to pay or waiting for your hoagie to finish being crafted and noticed the pharmacy and life items Wawa has to offer? Well if you haven't it's pretty impressive. Though Wawa does not have everything you may need, it has the things that will get you by. From chapstick to travel cold medicine packets and even windshield wiper fluid, Wawa has enough things that come in clutch when you are in a pinch.
#9. Wawa is our claim to fame.
There are many things that New Jersey gets a bad rap for: Guidos, pumping our fists instead of our gas, the cast of the Jersey Shore, and let's not forget the terrible smell around Newark International Airport. But one thing we have to be proud of is Wawa. Wawa represents all that is good in New Jersey. Not only do New Jersey people love Wawa but any out-of-state friend that I have forced to go to Wawa with me all say that they love Wawa too. For all the reasons mentioned above and one hundred reasons more Wawa is always there for us and gives us what we need when we need it in a kind and professional way. And for that we thank you Wawa.
*Cue the tune of 'We Love You Conrad' from Bye Bye Birdie”
We love you Wawa
Oh yes we do.
We love you Wawa
And will be true.
When you're not near us
We’re blue.
Oh Wawa. WE LOVE YOU.
