I woke up this morning to 157 Facebook comments on Tuesday’s post, titled “Wawa is Now the “Official Hoagie” of the Baltimore Ravens.”

The original story was, of course, written with a tinge of satire. I don’t really believe that Wawa is forsaking the Delaware Valley, since stores already exist in Florida and other places located well beyond our reach. In truth, it’s been quite a while since we’ve been able to claim exclusivity regarding the locally-conceived convenience store.

That being said, we got a wide range of responses to the story, some folks claiming betrayal and others believing that this was a “non story” while being all dramatic about it. I’d like to respond specifically to the following comments:

1. Jason: “Wawa and the Eagles still have a partnership. Might not be “official hoagie”. But y’all don’t get bent out of shape that Dunkin’ is the official coffee of the Eagles when it’s a chain from New England…”

It’s a good point.

If we claim to dislike Boston as much as we do, we’d turn our backs on Dunkin, which is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts, just south of Beantown.

And no, I don’t think Wawa is the official hoagie of the Eagles, but as recently as last year they were running partnered a sweepstakes with the team:

2. Chris: “To be fair, all they have down there is Royal Farms…and their food sucks. Consider this the convenience store version of the Peace Corps”

Does Royal Farms suck? I can’t say I’ve ever eaten there. The only one I’ve ever been to is the one on 95 near the airport, and that was when I’d stop to get gas on the way home from Talen Energy Stadium.

But Chris does have a good point; what if we are indeed doing Baltimore a service by allowing the Ravens to partner with Wawa? We should introduce them to a good convenience store, because we are an altuistic people.

3. David: “You missed the real story, it’s about WaWa vs, Royal Farms and now WaWa has a foothold in there (sic) hometown so…”

Royal Farms is headquartered in Baltimore, which I was not aware of.

So yeah, if you look at it that way, it’s a savvy foray into a competitor’s home territory. I guess Wawa partnering with the Ravens could possibly be compared to Sheetz invading Philadelphia to work a deal with the Eagles, and then we’re all eating MTO Subz instead of shorti hoagies.

4. Pete: “They were a sponsor on the ice for the devils last or the year before. I just don’t remember”

This is true.

I just looked it up, and found this blurb from November of 2016:

Wawa Inc., the New Jersey Devils and the Prudential Center have signed a multi-year agreement naming the convenience retailer a proud partner and the Official Breakfast Sandwich of the three-time Stanley Cup Champion hockey club and arena in Newark.

Through the partnership, Wawa and the Devils will team up on promotions throughout the year for fans attending events at the Prudential Center in Newark, where the National Hockey League team plays.

So this isn’t the first time they’ve partnered with a non-local team.

5. Maureen: “So many great local delis that would better represent a Philly hoagie than Wawa, BUT Wawa hoagies aren’t horrible at all…after all, the customer tells the person what they want on their hoagie…so if you think they’re bad, it’s on you 😜…but the rest of the country has no idea what a real hoagie is…so, go Wawa! Spread your goodness! The Philly area will always be home!”

Another good point. You are the person customizing the sandwich. Therefore, you decide what goes in it. And if you don’t like the rolls or whatever, then don’t buy their sandwiches.

It’s also true that the Philly area “will always be home,” so maybe we can share our Wawa with other regions of the country.

6. Zane: “It’s so funny that all the people who bash Wawa. Clearly if you didn’t care you wouldn’t make a comment. Wawa is a great company and has actually improved quality over the years. If it’s that bad, when’s the last time you were in one, because I do have to say, they are pretty convenient.”

I never really understood this. I don’t understand why people comment on a story and say “nobody cares.” Zane is right; if you don’t care, then don’t comment. Just skip the story and move on to the next one.

But the thing with Wawa and convenience is this –

It’s about familiarity. You know what you’re getting, and whether you stop at Wawa in Sea Isle City or Pottstown, you know you’re going to find a consistent product, vs. stumbling upon a deli that might be good or may not be good.

I think this is also why white suburbanites are attracted to chain restaurants, because you know what you’re getting. No, Red Lobster ain’t a five-star Philly restaurant, but I know what I’m getting when I stop in. I’m getting those Cheddar Bay biscuits.

7. Geoff: “Just keep the hoagie cutting 🔪 🔪 🔪 away from Ray Lewis…”

No comment.

8. Tim: “Same people who like wawa hoagies think McDonald’s makes great burgers.”

Let’s not go crazy here (though I think I’ve eaten at McDonald’s once in the last ten years).

9. Kevin: “First Wawa hoagies, what next? Will crack become the official drug of the Ravens, too? Are they going to steal that from us as well?”

To be fair, Philadelphia is not the only city smoking crack. We have no claim to exclusivity in that department.

10. Randy: “Sheetz has better food anyway. They have a fryer. Therefore that battle is already over. Who the hell wants microwaved mozzarella sticks anyway…”

Correct, Sheetz does have fryers. Royal Farms does as well, from what I can gather. That’s why these places can sell popcorn chicken and fried mac and cheese balls and stuff like that.

This does, however, manifest itself in a unique smell coming from the food preparation area, and when I’d walk out of Sheetz in West Virginia I felt like the smell kind of stayed with me for a while. That’s something to think about.

Last word goes to Lloyd: