Wawa is stealing customers from Burger King, Wendy’s and Starbucks, especially during breakfast, because of its focus on high-quality, built-to-order food, writes Natalie Rice for CNBC.
The Delaware County-based chain is leveraging its customer loyalty, almost a cult-like following that has inspired merchandise, tattoos, songs, and marriage proposals, to expand into the Midwest and South.
Wawa became a destination with its assortment of hoagies, Sizzli sandwiches, and limited-time offers like the “Gobbler.”
“I don’t even get gas. I get food,” said customer Patricia Haywood-Jones during a visit to a Media Wawa.
Customers have stayed loyal even with inflation. Wawa’s prices rose on average 21.7 percent between the second quarter of 2019 and the second quarter of 2025, according to data analytics firm Technomic.
Burger King, Wendy’s, and Starbucks customers have been choosing Wawa more often since 2023, according to Indagari, which tracks credit and debit card spending.
Wawa is also scaling organically, without mergers or acquisitions, unlike other convenience stores like 7-Eleven and Casey’s.
Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens credits his stores’ “secret sauce.”
“Wawa has all those options and a service model that really is just a little bit better. People know each other by name, people create this warm environment,” he said.
Read more about Wawa’s success formula at CNBC.
