It's basically quality vs. quantity when it comes to made-to-order menu items. Wawa dominates in quality, Sheetz owns quantity. Wawa's menu doesn't really extend too far beyond hoagies, but the quality can't be matched (by a gas station anyway). While at Sheetz you can also get pizza, fried macaroni, burgers etc. it just isn't enjoyable food unless you're blacked out at 3 in the morning. The bread on their hoagies is dry, while the turkey or ham has a slightly gooey consistency and the cheese may as well be some sort of a powder. Also they are very misleading with advertising. If Wawa says you're going to get a classic for 4.79, you're going to get a classic for $4.79. At Sheetz they advertise $4 footlongs, only to charge you extra for the cheese. Knowing a few employees that worked at Sheetz too, I've learned that most of their food comes in frozen.
Another field Wawa wins in is their drinks. Sheetz does not even have it's own brand of teas or milk or anything for that matter. Part of the joy of Wawa is downing one of their Wawa brand lemon teas with your hoagie.
I suppose if a Sheetz fan has never been to a Wawa then it might be okay to continue living with just Sheetz. That's why people become Pirates fans right? They don't know how good it is on the eastern side of the state. I suppose I should tie this back into sports now. While Halladay won’t take the mound for a while, we look for him to reassert himself as the Wawa of pitchers upon his return.
By: Ben Lebo
Follow us on Twitter: @BroadStBeat