If you polled our office, you would think that Philly runs on Wawa. Earlier this week, to celebrate the opening of the largest Wawa yet, Philadelphia magazine asked dozens of favorite Philadelphians what their go-to Wawa foods were. Of course, they included Philly PR Girl owner, Kate Marlys, in their roundup. In case you missed it, a chicken salad hoagie is her fail-safe. Specifically, one with provolone cheese, lettuce, banana peppers, salt, pepper, and oregano. To follow suit, the rest of the Philly PR Girl team got ready to confess our favorite orders.
Dominique is a simple girl who just wants to enjoy a Sizzli in the sun. “Nothing like their egg white, turkey sausage & cheese on a bagel on the beach.”
The opposite of a simple girl, Victoria takes full advantage of the custom ordering system. “I love being able to pick every ingredient (as someone who always asks for substitutions at restaurants, sue me). Toasted whole wheat shorti (roll only), turkey, little bit of oil and vinegar, spinach, tomato, onion, and jalapenos with pickles and hot banana peppers on the side. Plus, a 12 oz. three-quarters decaf/one-quarter Colombian coffee with a generous amount of almond milk. But Wawa sides are where it’s really at! I’ll always get at least one of the following: chicken noodle soup, chicken corn chowder, or mashed potatoes.”
One of the beauties of Wawa is the 24/7/365 service. Thus, Emily can’t decide on revealing her go-to breakfast or lunch. Either way, it includes apple slices for our resident vegetarian. For mornings, it’s “black coffee, or with a splash of plant-based milk. Egg white breakfast bowl or burrito with roasted veggies, no cheese, salsa, jalapeños, spinach, black pepper, and oregano… with at least one hot sauce packet (addicted).” In the afternoon, “a Junior double-roasted veggie wheat hoagie with spinach, onion, jalapeños, roasted red peppers, spicy brown mustard or cherry pepper relish, black pepper, oregano, and avocado. Whole thing toasted. Along with the biggest bottle of water available and a mini Reese’s cup or mini peppermint patty.”
For Mike, it’s the same no matter his mood or time of day. He’s going for a hot dog, bag of Wild Bill’s beef jerky, and a red ICEE.
Like famed Israeli chef Michael Solomonov, Andie loves Wawa’s meatball sandwiches. She’ll have hers toasted with lettuce, onions, oregano, and extra cheese. “The meatball sandwiches are my go-to, but if I’m in rush, I’ll grab a pre-made chicken caesar salad wrap, or a cheddar-stuffed pretzel. I’m obsessed with the Wawa-brand flavored iced tea, so that’s my drink of choice every time I’m there. I also recently discovered how amazing Wawa’s cookies are, so usually one, or two, find their way into my hand in the checkout line.”
Likewise, Liza’s favorite thing at Wawa is also the meatball sandwich. She keeps it simple with a toasted roll and extra cheese. Sometimes you’ll catch her on a lunch break getting a Shorti oven-roasted turkey sandwich with a little bit of mayo, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes paired with a bag of barbecue chips. When she’s craving something sweet, an extra thick chocolate F’real milkshake does the trick. “One thing I need to try is their famous turkey gobbler.”
Amanda was reluctant to answer because she was the third person to claim the meatball sandwich as her favorite. We say, there’s no shame in loving something tried and true.
Take a first look at the prototypes of the grandiose 11,300 sq. ft. Wawa. Picture industrial chic decor and fixtures with vaulted ceilings. As far as the experience goes, a bigger social media presence will get customers to be more interactive. There’s also a collaborative mural and coffee cups with Mural Arts Program. As for the food, expect more fresh, gourmet-feeling additions like in-store baked baguettes.
Visit Wawa on Friday, December 14 at 6th and Chestnut Street to see it for yourself in person! Surely you’ll be able to grab a free coffee during the grand opening. The official festivities begin with a parade on Chestnut Street and ribbon cutting at 9 a.m. Plus, there will be fun activities all day long like promotional giveaways and hoagie-building competitions.
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Share your favorite Wawa order with us in the comments below!