Like my favorite local hardware store and neighborhood saloon, I have a personal bond with Wawa, the ubiquitous convenience chain whose slogan is “Gotta have a Wawa.”
I’m in Wawa almost daily to get milk or a sandwich, iced tea, a late afternoon candy bar, or to gas up the heap. You, too, maybe. Wawa is part of our retail culture in Southeastern Pennsylvania, where the chain, named for a goose, was launched in 1964 in Delaware County. I like Wawa. A lot.
In lower Bucks County, I can stand in line at any Wawa and name five other Wawa locations within a a mile or more. That’s because Wawa, with more than 850 stores, is everywhere, like Dr. Fauci doing media. But like an overexposed celebrity, I wonder if we’re reaching peak Wawa.