Pennsylvanians are deeply committed to their convenience stores. The fact that our state is home to not one, but two, iconic brands that are at the top of the convenience store game is pretty amazing! We have strong opinions, too, about which reigns supreme; we’re talking, of course, about the great Wawa vs. Sheetz rivalry. The debate about which of these one-stop-shops is tops is so intense, in fact, that one local filmmaker is even making a documentary about it! And, as the mostly friendly matchup rages on, each PA-based chain keeps upping the ante, with restaurant seating, craft beer collaborations, new products, touchscreen ordering innovations, their own smart phone apps, and so much more.
Sheetz’s collaboration beer with Rusty Rail Brewing
A Wawa collaboration with 2SP Brewing: Coffee Stout
The rest of the country is starting to take note of our plethora of above-average convenience stores. The most recent nod comes from Food & Wine, which just released its list of America’s Best Convenience Stores, Ranked, compiled by its editors. How did they base their rankings, you may be wondering? Editor David Landsel explains their methodology in the article’s intro:
In the end, the size of the company had no bearing on ranking—we asked one simple question, walking through the doors: How happy would we be to come back here, either for a bite to eat, a cup of coffee, or an ice cream, or more?
Well, turns out that Wawa beat out Sheetz, coming in at number 2 on the list, right after Buc-ee’s, a beloved Texas-based chain. Beyond the great coffee, hoagies, house beer, iced tea and soft pretzels, turns out it is the community culture of Wawa that won the Food & Wine editors’ hearts. “Wawa is where life happens. It’s where you run into everyone. It’s the community center, even an extension of your own living room,” they note.
Wawa Hoagie Day
Sheetz wasn’t far behind, ranking at number 4, right behind Stewart’s, a New York-based chain at number 3. The main shout-out for Sheetz was its recent blueberry muffin beer collaboration with Evil Genius Beer, followed by love for the chain’s quesaritos, totchos and fried macaroni-and-cheese bites.
Other PA shops made the list, as well (in fact, PA had more mentions than any other state on the list!). York, PA-based Rutter’s was ranked #10, Turkey Hill came in at #15, and GetGo, based in Pittsburgh, made the cut at #19.
Check out Food & Wine’s full article for more on their editors’ opinions on the best convenience stores, not only in Pennsylvania, but across the county. What’s your favorite PA convenience store? Let us know here or on the PA Eats Facebook page!
- Photos: Courtesy of Wawa and Sheetz
