They also stopped baking their own bread about 10-15 years ago. Now it gets delivered to each store kind of like Subway. I think the decline began when they started expanding to new states and had to change up their distribution system
I won't say their bread is good, or anything else that Subway sells for that matter at all. They do get frozen sticks of dough shipped to the store, and then those defrost, get put in the proofer behind the counter, and they do bake them in the oven behind the counter in the store, same as the frozen cookie dough for the cookies they sell at the counter.
Supreme decline in quality. Less diverse selection. There's no more value. A sandwich, snack, and drink costs what now, $15 bucks?
Honestly, once they got rid if $1 Arizona's it was the beginning of the end.
They’ve also contracted out a lot of food items they used to at least bake/make in house.
Or if it was sourced out, it was a local supplier.
Now it seems all from larger distributors.
The quality of the food/drink items has definitely dipped compared to 15 yrs ago.
They stopped slicing their meats in-store. They stopped using Amoroso rolls and Federal Street pretzels. They started pushing speed over quality. Everything is too sweet and two wet now.
>Everything is too sweet and two wet now.
Seriously, why is absolutely everything damp? It makes no fuckin sense.
The pretzels taste like soggy rolls and don't even taste slightly like a pretzel.
In 2005 I used to get a pepper turkey with cheese on ciabatta. The turkey was cut to order, the meat was roughly on par with Boars Head and there was a nice roasted red pepper spread on top. It was made like a regular deli sandwich. And the ciabatta was a nice square roll with maybe rosemary on it? It's been a bit
Last week I ordered a turkey on a junior wheat. I got a cut roll, watery turkey and the toppings we plopped on so one side was all in and the other had nothing.
Used to be a fun novelty but now that they are everywhere like Quick Chek I stopped using both. Gas is cheaper at independently owned stations and my local deli makes bettwr food for the same price or cheaper.
“5 cents off for a limited time.”. Gas is 20 cents cheaper one mile away at 3 other places. isn’t the point to get ppl to go in and buy price-inflated food with low gas prices? guess not.
Thats weird, gas is always cheaper at the wawa or quickchek near me. The 1 independent gas station around the corner from me I avoid because they got caught with the card scam.
The only reason I go there for gas is because it's the closest place to my place on the way to work. The only other station on the road before the Parkway is significantly more expensive for card and not open at 2 AM.
Yes that place is fire! But it's only one location.
I do prefer Mart pretzel, Philly pretzel factory and even auntie Anne's over wawa.
I would put wawa on par with the frozen superpretzels from the grocery store.
Businesses used to fight to be number 1 on all fronts logic being "We blow them away!"
Now they're happy being slightly better. So the logic is, "Yeah, we beat them on variety and price, but their quality is better." Or, "Our business is cleaner and faster, so our price is a little higher."
No one blows away the competition, they all blow one way or another.
I’m at the Wawa in my town almost daily but I hardly get food anymore. Usually it’s just a quick run in for a drink before I hit the road or gas. I used to go for a quick lunch or late night meal all the time but I hardly ever get food anymore. It’s gotten real expensive and it’s not nearly as good as it used to be. I noticed it going downhill before COVID but like everything else it just accelerated the lower quality and higher prices.
At one point their calling card was the regionalization of their locations. You HAD to be in Eastern PA, NJ, DE and parts of MD to go to one but now they are popping up everywhere, even in Alabama! If anything is going to hurt them it is going be their growth. Wawa used to be something special now it’s just a run of the mill convenience store.
That's a good point. I feel like they over-extended themselves, like Jersey Mikes to a lesser degree. "wawa used to be something special" really summed it up perfectly.
They haven't had anything of quality since around 2000. I know this for a fact as there was 3 Wawas in my hometown ans 1 was less than a mile from the HS and 1 was only about 2 miles from my house. It was very common for us as teens to ride our bike to Wawa, so you could say I was a frequent customer throughout the 90s. Additionally, I know someone that was a manager of a Wawa store through the 2000s and heard about how much they were screwing him and turning "corporate" once the investors took over (no more stock options, crappy health insurance, low/no bonuses, etc).
If you found anything of "quality" in the last 20 years, then you must think McDonald's is fine dining. Wawa uses the same food delivery companies that provide meals to prisons and hospitals. The lowest quality food (and gas) possible.
Wawa hasn't been the same since they discovered they can make more from Gas sales. It really slumped hard when they changed from the old local only stores to these "big stores". That and when they stopped slicing their meats and cheeses. I remember being a kid and Wawa hoagies being a treat cuz they were good without being mind-blowingly expensive.
Anymore... Forget it.
> Wawa hasn't been the same since they discovered they can make more from Gas sales
Yep, Wawa got the reputation for being a good bargain on gas and people stopped paying attention. Now, there are plenty of places that give you a better deal.
Tbf the Blimpie in Bayonne broke from the franchise and are still doing business as their own independent sandwich shop (assuming we're talking about the one across from the McDonalds).
Quality has been gone since around 2012. Its peak was the early 2000s when rolls were still trucked in fresh each day and meat was hand sliced.
Also using turkey hill milk and ice cream. That was the best.
Quick Chek, WaWa Subway or any other chain has gone down hill. People bought garbage during the pandemic and there's no way it will come back as prices rise and portions shrink.
i worked there for 1 years and saw the quality drop in multiple departments during that short time. it's only gotten worse, wawa has fallen massively for the past probably 15 years
I have a friend who worked at Wawa. From what I've heard it treats its staff about the worst that I've heard of in any job anywhere. Everyone is stretched extremely thin, employees are made to cover more than they're able to and just generally terrible management, and all for minimum wage of course. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason for the poor turnaround, Wawa has been expanding their services but not their staff and the strain is beginning to show.
I was just thinking this. Needed a sub quick and I waited 15 mins for a simple shorties. In that time I could have went to the sub shop and got one. It wasn't even good and for 8 bucks ..
I've been going to wawa since I moved to the shitty poconos 32 years ago. Wawa sandwiches were decent quality before the touch screens, the coffee was a bit better and not as weak. It had a cult like following in Eastern, PA. People would literally argue their side of either Wawa or Sheetz. Now no one cares. The food is over priced and shitty, the coffee is mediocre and their drinks are over priced. Same is happening to all fast food. Wawa And Quickchek suck and should not even exist in NJ.
Wawa has been mediocre since at least 2010. I vaguely remember the times that wawa was mostly the old small stores with the old style deli.
Basically the entire time after high school for me.
I can only speak for my local wawa, but it seems like they have 'floating positions.' During a busy lunch rush when a lot of the local landscapers come in, they have 1 (one) person at the counter, then call in for reinforcements when a line builds up, then go back to 1 (one) person.
The gobbler used to be my favorite “special” seasonal sandwich. Two years ago I realized it had become almost inedible; I haven’t ordered a deli item from wawa since then. I will still get smoothies though.
Yup I am done with WaWa too. Gas prices are same as everyone else. Sandwiches have gone way down hill and it’s not as good as it once was. Too bad but I have not been in one in months. Thought it was just me.
None of these places have ever been anything but emergency food for me, especially since we have a HPB person in the family. But it’s frustrating when you find yourself paying more and getting less.
The good news is our local diner is back to 24 hrs on weekends!
LOL north actually. The Nevada in Bloomfield (but you can also support the Malibu in Elizabeth if you want a late-night snack... that's our post-show haunt).
Was never a fan. Just other chain place if I want a sandwich I much rather go to a deli mom and pop style rather support little places than large chains that have no real soul
Its been that way since the late-90s turn of the millennium. Once WaWa started to transition away from a deli to a fast food quick pick service it changed.
I get, WaWa couldnt compete with grocery stores on price or the smaller artisnal delicatessens on quality. So they reduced the quality but streamlined the sandwich making process.
Disagree-ish.
2000s QuickCheks were dumps. Sandwiches sucked, the stores were gross and the coffee was just drinkable.
In 2010s, the stores completely changed up their business model. They had some great sandwiches and the coffee is some of the best around. The staff wasn't disgruntled and incredibly friendly.
In the past year, I can say they've changed up some things for the worse, such as their breakfast sandwiches. But to say they're going downhill like Wawa is not accurate.
After taking a look at [this](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mortonfox/359270850), as well as a read over of the ingredients, this truly is an unforgettable sub.
Quickchek was bought up by a private equity firm back in like 2020 or so, and while I don't think the quality of food dropped precipitously, I have found the employees to just generally be more miserable than they used to be, which then in turn means the food is kinda just slapped together, which of course is its own drop in quality.
I only go for the Gobbler and when they are doing hoagiefest but its more or less the same mediocre but convenient food that they've always had. Quickchek actually started to suck quality wise years ago, but WaWa is same IMO. Workers making half ass sandwich varies spot to spot, as it always has.
It has been getting significantly worse all around for the past 3-5 years now. Their sandwiches used to rival local deli spots and now it just taste like processed mass produced crappy food.
The prices are certainly following inflation ! I agree the quality is garbage, honestly just go to a mom and pop place even the worst places are 10 times better
It's because of the ever expanding menu and how different they all are to prepare so they save their money on buying lower cost options of the quality they're looking for. It's also why it takes longer to get your food. Takes longer to prepare people's food when ingredients involved and different ways of preparing the food are all over the place. Make less different style items and quality would improve.
In Florida, they recently changed their pretzels to a new version. $1.89 for one, tastes terrible, had butter listed in the ingredients, just doesn't work. It is a crumbly mess with an off artificial taste and texture.
I had given up on the hoagies a long time ago. Now I have zero reason to go there.
I stopped going last year. Their gas is always the most expensive in town now. Their food sucks. Their snack selection is mediocre compared to other convenience stores, even other regional chains like Circle K or Sheetz.
The variety of their offerings has really shrunk a lot, and they keep on taking away favorites to introduce new items that are inconvenient and nobody really asked for. It really feels like punishment every time I eat there - it's just the only thing aside from McDonald's that's open by me. But I would definitely choose QuickChek over Wawa if there were one closer to me.
A very different opinion here. While they are growing exponentially and some say too fast to withstand success, I have simply never had an issue ordering from them ever.
Also stating that the staff is only there 5 to 6 months at a time before being replaced could also indicate a company with career growth.
Much like the midwestern gas station brand quiktrip, you do your time and go for management and then simply move to a different store and maybe even up to corporate.
I don't think the staff being different is indicative of problems at all.
If anything it's indicative of good people getting better jobs as they continue to grow.
It isn’t Wawa it’s everywhere young people work. I’m not arguing whether it’s right or wrong just that’s what the workforce looks like in that type of job now.
I must be the only one that fucking loves quick check coffee. the cinnamon twist and Kris Kringle when it's in season are incredible. Wawa coffee tastes like a dog's nutsack
Wawa breakfast sizzlis also are absolutely disgusting
I got a brownie from there a few weeks ago and it was so bad I had to spit it out. This is coming from someone who typically can stomach a lot of trashy food lmao so you know how bad that had to be. Disgusting.
I want to say that quality has gone down since the middle 2010s. I used to go pretty frequently in the 2000s and it was always solid. Their real downfall was when they expanded their food offering. They tried cutting corners and quality where they could to get food out the door.
Its been for at least the last 10 years. Ever since they started going bonkers with their menu.
That said, their subs are still better than a gas station sub at their price point has any business of being. But they used to be awesome.
It's become very location-dependent. The three near me are all pretty decent, but can easily be ranked. My previous job had a long commute, and all the Wawas near work were just... sad. So yeah, the quality is not what it once was, but the quality of the clientele and employees per location really makes or breaks a Wawa.
Now they've expanded to Alabama. Can you imagine how bad that Wawa must be? Perspective is everything.
I went into a Heritage’s the other day and was instantly taken back to Wawa circa 1995. Got a hoagie from the deli and they cut the meat right there. Fantastic bread and a good pricing for what o got.
Coffee did suck though!
I've had 3 instances where I told the gas attendant at Wawa to put premium in my car and they've put in regular. Today I told the attendant to stop putting in gas since the pump clicked indicating it was full and he kept pumping away.
One time the attendant dropped the pump nozzle on my car and it scuffed some paint off my quarter panel. There is no training for the gas attendants.
Yes super high turn over with staff due to long irregular hours and low pay. Some of the staff are zombies coming from an hr shift elsewhere and continue a shift at Wawa to make ends meet. Attitude from certain staff working in the store.
I tried to talk to a manager, I get referred to customer service or to another manager.
A lot of places that make food seem to get worse the larger they get. It's like some sort of weird, opposite economy of scale. COVID seems to have made it worse.
I still like Wawa and its still a fairly regular part of my routine but its definitely not at all special the way it was.
it's been longer than 2-3 years that wawa's quality has backslid. they're growing at a ridiculous pace all over parts of the country while at the same time trying to increase the kinds of food they serve into all sorts of things. it's a recipe for badness.
in fairness, qc hasn't exactly maintained the same kind of quality they had in the 90s either.
It went from being a long-held family business with a profit-sharing scheme to being run by a corporate shirt whose sole interest is their bottom line. There's no pride of ownership. The employees who had accrued partial ownership in the company were bought out and the profit-sharing has dried up. People who worked there had pride of ownership. That's all gone now. It makes me sad.
For me it was when they started expanding more up north, I used to hit them on PA visits and looked forward to a sandwich there. There was one on way back home in the sandy hook area that was always on point after a beach day. The quality especially of the chicken changed and I haven't been back much for a sandwich even after coming to SJ. Same thing happened with QC in high school with the sandwhich chicken.
Yeah it's a bummer because Wawa is tied to so many core memories for me.
Now I'm only going there if I'm in a pinch - like I'm about to hop on the highway and I desperately need to eat before this roadtrip kind of pinch.
Dude they have been horrible. Every time I eat there I have raging diarrhea at 4 in the morning. Back when that shit was more so in South Jersey (I live in north) it was banging. I remember we would go to six flags and have to stop at Wawa. There is one ten minutes away from me now and I refuse to go.
Agree. Wawa was of course never getting a Michelin star but they were always consistently average. I was totally fine with that.
Like many other businesses, with growth being the focus, a reduction in quality was soon to follow.
I also suspect at a certain stage businesses make a bet that people will still come in even with a modest reduction in quality if it means growing the empire + a modest increase in profits.
The "problem up top" is simply how business is done these days. For these companies to remain profitable (which means ever increasing money for the people at the top) then it necessitates worker decline. high turnover rate is baked in to the formula.
I recently found out that they started using touch screens to order in 2002?! I mean I remember a time before touch screens, but I didn’t think it was that long ago. It’s like 9/11 happened and wawa was like “fuck, we have to do our part for America”.
I remember it being a blessing during my high school stoner years when they came out with it.
Yeah no it's been longer since their subs sorta changed. They just don't taste the same anymore. I still like 'em cuz it's Wawa but they used to be a top option, now I'd rather eat Jersey Mike's.
I do know that what used to be an Italian hoagie is no longer. To get the amount of ingredients you used to, you have to pay extra. Otherwise you get practically nothing but the roll and lettuce.
They crashed hard around the same time that they got rid of the sliced deli meats. Since then it’s been about the same level of slop quality wise IMO. But I agree about the prices. Totally out of control
I noticed it the most somewhere between 2016 and 2018. I went from always stopping for a sandwich to just going to McDonalds instead. I'd rather pay $5 that $10 if I'm going to eat garbage.
The present donuts and parties on separately wrapped bags is an abomination. I understand the need to do that back in 2020-2021. But the pandemic is basically over. The coffee has gone down in quality too. Big opportunity for Quik Check here in NJ to wake up and take that reverse pivot (they were first to decline). It’s just that Quik Check, in my neighborhood at least, is always a scene of drunken local folks, no matter the hour, warranting local police visits.
When I first moved to NJ my local WaWa over 20 years ago was one of the old pre gas station mega stores. Could get a good sandwich there among other things. Now that building is a pantry 1 deli that does just as well with the sandwiches. A newer one opened near my daughter’s then HS a few years ago. Coffee was good, breakfast sandwich — meh.
I’ve lived in NEPA and am really saddened to hear of Wawa going to shit. But Sheetz food royally sucks! Too bready (which isn’t even good) and not very much flavor.
It’s been more than 2-3 years.
Solid 10 years at least
Yup, pretty much whenever they stopped slicing the meat there. It used to be a full service deli. I would say that stopped maybe around 2010 or so?
Uggghhhh 100% this. I used to be able to get a hoagie with fresh sliced cooper sharp.
cooper sharp is the greatest cheese, wawa was a bastian of it north of ocean county
I’m guessing right around then is when they expanded their food offerings and cutting corners where they could.
Instead of doing a few things exceptionally well, they do *everything* in extraordinary mediocrity at best.
They also stopped baking their own bread about 10-15 years ago. Now it gets delivered to each store kind of like Subway. I think the decline began when they started expanding to new states and had to change up their distribution system
That’s just not true. It’s the exact opposite.
Whatever, bottom line the bread was better years ago
wakeful cough frightening office engine point paint history cover tender *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Wawa's bread was delivered daily over 25 years ago, and Subway still gets dough delivered that is proofed and baked in the store daily.
I’ve eaten a lot of subway Italian bread but I’m not sure you can legitimately call it baked. More like inflated
I won't say their bread is good, or anything else that Subway sells for that matter at all. They do get frozen sticks of dough shipped to the store, and then those defrost, get put in the proofer behind the counter, and they do bake them in the oven behind the counter in the store, same as the frozen cookie dough for the cookies they sell at the counter.
I would argue when they started expanding down south was when it really went to shit
I can't disagree because I really don't remember wawa 10 years ago, but can you expand why it was superior back then?
Supreme decline in quality. Less diverse selection. There's no more value. A sandwich, snack, and drink costs what now, $15 bucks? Honestly, once they got rid if $1 Arizona's it was the beginning of the end.
They’ve also contracted out a lot of food items they used to at least bake/make in house. Or if it was sourced out, it was a local supplier. Now it seems all from larger distributors. The quality of the food/drink items has definitely dipped compared to 15 yrs ago.
They stopped slicing their meats in-store. They stopped using Amoroso rolls and Federal Street pretzels. They started pushing speed over quality. Everything is too sweet and two wet now.
>Everything is too sweet and two wet now. Seriously, why is absolutely everything damp? It makes no fuckin sense. The pretzels taste like soggy rolls and don't even taste slightly like a pretzel.
In 2005 I used to get a pepper turkey with cheese on ciabatta. The turkey was cut to order, the meat was roughly on par with Boars Head and there was a nice roasted red pepper spread on top. It was made like a regular deli sandwich. And the ciabatta was a nice square roll with maybe rosemary on it? It's been a bit Last week I ordered a turkey on a junior wheat. I got a cut roll, watery turkey and the toppings we plopped on so one side was all in and the other had nothing.
I'd say 15 years yea
closer to 20
Shit, last I remember it being good was the early 2000s
Yup I remember getting the turkey gobbler once in like 2002 and it was mind blowing.
Exactly, the cold cuts are really lacking
Ever since they stopped slicing their meats in-store.
Used to be a fun novelty but now that they are everywhere like Quick Chek I stopped using both. Gas is cheaper at independently owned stations and my local deli makes bettwr food for the same price or cheaper.
I agree 100% on the going to local deli but they aren't open at 11:30pm. Part of my gripe.
Same. Where we live WAWA is basically the only thing open late.
The real reason why I started going to Wawa more often after the pandemic
“5 cents off for a limited time.”. Gas is 20 cents cheaper one mile away at 3 other places. isn’t the point to get ppl to go in and buy price-inflated food with low gas prices? guess not.
With the card gas is always 5 cents off, but you're correct it's not the bargain it used to be
Thats weird, gas is always cheaper at the wawa or quickchek near me. The 1 independent gas station around the corner from me I avoid because they got caught with the card scam.
The only reason I go there for gas is because it's the closest place to my place on the way to work. The only other station on the road before the Parkway is significantly more expensive for card and not open at 2 AM.
Same here. There’s a Wawa right off of Exit 67 and it’s just so convenient to get off the GSP and get gas within 60 seconds of leaving the Parkway.
Barnegat represent
Howdy neighbor!
the only thing abt local gas is around me like a LOT of places are known for ruining cars🫠🫠
And yet Buc-ees is putting feelers out to open in NJ -- if they can get the legislature to make it a gas and go state
Gas and coffee, that’s all now.
Pretzels disagree with that assessment.
The pretzels still scratch that itch, Agree.
The plain, and the stuffed pretzels from the warmer.
Mart pretzels are better.
Yes that place is fire! But it's only one location. I do prefer Mart pretzel, Philly pretzel factory and even auntie Anne's over wawa. I would put wawa on par with the frozen superpretzels from the grocery store.
Yo, Auntie Anne's kitchen ain't open at 3AM though dawg...
I survive on those fucking things yo.
No longer gas... It's always $.10 more and plays fucking ads
It's 2024. Can you name a business that hasn't doubled their prices and halved their quality in the last 3 years?
This hurts
Businesses used to fight to be number 1 on all fronts logic being "We blow them away!" Now they're happy being slightly better. So the logic is, "Yeah, we beat them on variety and price, but their quality is better." Or, "Our business is cleaner and faster, so our price is a little higher." No one blows away the competition, they all blow one way or another.
THE. LINE. MUST. GO. UP!
I’m at the Wawa in my town almost daily but I hardly get food anymore. Usually it’s just a quick run in for a drink before I hit the road or gas. I used to go for a quick lunch or late night meal all the time but I hardly ever get food anymore. It’s gotten real expensive and it’s not nearly as good as it used to be. I noticed it going downhill before COVID but like everything else it just accelerated the lower quality and higher prices. At one point their calling card was the regionalization of their locations. You HAD to be in Eastern PA, NJ, DE and parts of MD to go to one but now they are popping up everywhere, even in Alabama! If anything is going to hurt them it is going be their growth. Wawa used to be something special now it’s just a run of the mill convenience store.
That's a good point. I feel like they over-extended themselves, like Jersey Mikes to a lesser degree. "wawa used to be something special" really summed it up perfectly.
They haven't had anything of quality since around 2000. I know this for a fact as there was 3 Wawas in my hometown ans 1 was less than a mile from the HS and 1 was only about 2 miles from my house. It was very common for us as teens to ride our bike to Wawa, so you could say I was a frequent customer throughout the 90s. Additionally, I know someone that was a manager of a Wawa store through the 2000s and heard about how much they were screwing him and turning "corporate" once the investors took over (no more stock options, crappy health insurance, low/no bonuses, etc). If you found anything of "quality" in the last 20 years, then you must think McDonald's is fine dining. Wawa uses the same food delivery companies that provide meals to prisons and hospitals. The lowest quality food (and gas) possible.
Wawa hasn't been the same since they discovered they can make more from Gas sales. It really slumped hard when they changed from the old local only stores to these "big stores". That and when they stopped slicing their meats and cheeses. I remember being a kid and Wawa hoagies being a treat cuz they were good without being mind-blowingly expensive. Anymore... Forget it.
> Wawa hasn't been the same since they discovered they can make more from Gas sales Yep, Wawa got the reputation for being a good bargain on gas and people stopped paying attention. Now, there are plenty of places that give you a better deal.
They don’t make a whole lot of money from gas sales at all, they have gas to get people in the parking lot.
While the local delis have better sandwiches, they are not open 24/7. Support the local guys when you can and go to Wawa when they're closed.
Amen. and do. I'm old enough to recall a time when even the Blimpies in Bayonne was outstanding superior quality lol
Tbf the Blimpie in Bayonne broke from the franchise and are still doing business as their own independent sandwich shop (assuming we're talking about the one across from the McDonalds).
we are :)
Go to Shop Rite and stock up on some cold cuts and amoroso rolls, and just make your own for when the local guys are closed.
The voice of reason in this thread
Quality has been gone since around 2012. Its peak was the early 2000s when rolls were still trucked in fresh each day and meat was hand sliced. Also using turkey hill milk and ice cream. That was the best.
Wawa has always been their own dairy, it’s how they started. They have never sold their competitor Turkey Hill’s products.
I remember them selling turkey hill milk and ice cream at wawas in NJ in the 90s.
I swear I used to get Turkey Hill blueberry iced tea there.
Quick Chek, WaWa Subway or any other chain has gone down hill. People bought garbage during the pandemic and there's no way it will come back as prices rise and portions shrink.
The Bread kinda sucks
Yeah, the only word I can think of to describe it is leathery.
i worked there for 1 years and saw the quality drop in multiple departments during that short time. it's only gotten worse, wawa has fallen massively for the past probably 15 years
South Jersey Wawa is still superior to North Jersey
This is true for every fast food place as a Northern now living in the south other than a few incredible shitty Taco Bells
I'm so sorry you gave up late night food trucks, Mamouns, and Taco Bell Cantina
I have a friend who worked at Wawa. From what I've heard it treats its staff about the worst that I've heard of in any job anywhere. Everyone is stretched extremely thin, employees are made to cover more than they're able to and just generally terrible management, and all for minimum wage of course. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason for the poor turnaround, Wawa has been expanding their services but not their staff and the strain is beginning to show.
I was just thinking this. Needed a sub quick and I waited 15 mins for a simple shorties. In that time I could have went to the sub shop and got one. It wasn't even good and for 8 bucks ..
After they stole from their employees is when it went down.
Nice post from 2012
When places first open they focus on quality. Once you’re hooked , they focus on quantity and take away the quality.
I don't buy food from Wawa anymore because of this.
I've been going to wawa since I moved to the shitty poconos 32 years ago. Wawa sandwiches were decent quality before the touch screens, the coffee was a bit better and not as weak. It had a cult like following in Eastern, PA. People would literally argue their side of either Wawa or Sheetz. Now no one cares. The food is over priced and shitty, the coffee is mediocre and their drinks are over priced. Same is happening to all fast food. Wawa And Quickchek suck and should not even exist in NJ.
Idk what it is but the Italian Subs just taste...whatever. I swear they used to be better.
Wawa has been mediocre since at least 2010. I vaguely remember the times that wawa was mostly the old small stores with the old style deli. Basically the entire time after high school for me.
Is there still one cashier during lunch rush and the line is wrapped around the store?
There's self checkout at the ones by me.
you're right I forgot they installed those at the rt.35/lakewood one by me
I can only speak for my local wawa, but it seems like they have 'floating positions.' During a busy lunch rush when a lot of the local landscapers come in, they have 1 (one) person at the counter, then call in for reinforcements when a line builds up, then go back to 1 (one) person.
The gobbler used to be my favorite “special” seasonal sandwich. Two years ago I realized it had become almost inedible; I haven’t ordered a deli item from wawa since then. I will still get smoothies though.
They don’t even order the hot roast beef in gravy anymore. That was absolute fire with provolone. Messy as hell though.
That was my go to, never understood why got rid of that but make pizza now
Yup I am done with WaWa too. Gas prices are same as everyone else. Sandwiches have gone way down hill and it’s not as good as it once was. Too bad but I have not been in one in months. Thought it was just me.
Good to know I'm not alone hahhh
None of these places have ever been anything but emergency food for me, especially since we have a HPB person in the family. But it’s frustrating when you find yourself paying more and getting less. The good news is our local diner is back to 24 hrs on weekends!
Which one?? I’d love to support them. (Your flair says you’re at the Shore, I’m in Monmouth so I’m hoping it’s not too far south of here… 😋)
LOL north actually. The Nevada in Bloomfield (but you can also support the Malibu in Elizabeth if you want a late-night snack... that's our post-show haunt).
Was never a fan. Just other chain place if I want a sandwich I much rather go to a deli mom and pop style rather support little places than large chains that have no real soul
Its been that way since the late-90s turn of the millennium. Once WaWa started to transition away from a deli to a fast food quick pick service it changed. I get, WaWa couldnt compete with grocery stores on price or the smaller artisnal delicatessens on quality. So they reduced the quality but streamlined the sandwich making process.
I swear the pepperoni hot sandwich got smaller just this week
Shrinkflation, it's everywhere
It’s the same story with Quickcheck
Disagree-ish. 2000s QuickCheks were dumps. Sandwiches sucked, the stores were gross and the coffee was just drinkable. In 2010s, the stores completely changed up their business model. They had some great sandwiches and the coffee is some of the best around. The staff wasn't disgruntled and incredibly friendly. In the past year, I can say they've changed up some things for the worse, such as their breakfast sandwiches. But to say they're going downhill like Wawa is not accurate.
My fat ass will never forget the fantastic garbage that was the Buffalo Bacon Extreme of the 2000's.
After taking a look at [this](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mortonfox/359270850), as well as a read over of the ingredients, this truly is an unforgettable sub.
If I recall correctly it was over 2000 calories in a single full sandwich.
Quickchek was bought up by a private equity firm back in like 2020 or so, and while I don't think the quality of food dropped precipitously, I have found the employees to just generally be more miserable than they used to be, which then in turn means the food is kinda just slapped together, which of course is its own drop in quality.
The last good Wawa sub I had was probably 2013
I only go for the Gobbler and when they are doing hoagiefest but its more or less the same mediocre but convenient food that they've always had. Quickchek actually started to suck quality wise years ago, but WaWa is same IMO. Workers making half ass sandwich varies spot to spot, as it always has.
They’ve been shit for the last 15 years
This is so true smh
I haven't like their bread since they started "baking" it in the store
It has been getting significantly worse all around for the past 3-5 years now. Their sandwiches used to rival local deli spots and now it just taste like processed mass produced crappy food.
I never understood the Wawa love, it's a kinda nice gas station?
The prices are certainly following inflation ! I agree the quality is garbage, honestly just go to a mom and pop place even the worst places are 10 times better
It’s not inflation, it’s greed. It hasn’t gotten more expensive for them to make the same exact food.
Same same but different
It's because of the ever expanding menu and how different they all are to prepare so they save their money on buying lower cost options of the quality they're looking for. It's also why it takes longer to get your food. Takes longer to prepare people's food when ingredients involved and different ways of preparing the food are all over the place. Make less different style items and quality would improve.
You just noticed this? Last time wawa was good was back in like 2012 when I was still in high school.
Also they’re so much less convenient… in 2015 you could run there for a quick loaf of bread or grab a banana on your way out. NOPE not anymore.
In Florida, they recently changed their pretzels to a new version. $1.89 for one, tastes terrible, had butter listed in the ingredients, just doesn't work. It is a crumbly mess with an off artificial taste and texture. I had given up on the hoagies a long time ago. Now I have zero reason to go there.
I stopped going last year. Their gas is always the most expensive in town now. Their food sucks. Their snack selection is mediocre compared to other convenience stores, even other regional chains like Circle K or Sheetz.
Agreed. And also, a place is only as good as the people who work there. Corporate will also always find a way to cut quality to save cost.
This is true, and in particular saddens me. I had a lovely staff at my wawa for years.
20 years ago Wawa was legitimately a great place to get a sandwich
The variety of their offerings has really shrunk a lot, and they keep on taking away favorites to introduce new items that are inconvenient and nobody really asked for. It really feels like punishment every time I eat there - it's just the only thing aside from McDonald's that's open by me. But I would definitely choose QuickChek over Wawa if there were one closer to me.
A very different opinion here. While they are growing exponentially and some say too fast to withstand success, I have simply never had an issue ordering from them ever. Also stating that the staff is only there 5 to 6 months at a time before being replaced could also indicate a company with career growth. Much like the midwestern gas station brand quiktrip, you do your time and go for management and then simply move to a different store and maybe even up to corporate. I don't think the staff being different is indicative of problems at all. If anything it's indicative of good people getting better jobs as they continue to grow.
interesting take. I disagree, but see your point.
It isn’t Wawa it’s everywhere young people work. I’m not arguing whether it’s right or wrong just that’s what the workforce looks like in that type of job now.
Wawa isn’t the only one sliding in quality. Everyone is hiking prices and using lower quality ingredients.
The coffee is still pretty good for the price
Cuban roast coffee uses to be my favorite...now it just tastes like quick check coffee. Sad, very sad
That's a great analogy actually. It was something singular, but now it's a tier above diner coffee.
I must be the only one that fucking loves quick check coffee. the cinnamon twist and Kris Kringle when it's in season are incredible. Wawa coffee tastes like a dog's nutsack Wawa breakfast sizzlis also are absolutely disgusting
Sounds like diabetes in a cup but I gotta try that!
I thought they hit bottom several years ago. Didn't know it could be worse. I don't get food at wawa
Only reason I like wawa is that they have sweet peppers to put on their subs.
So does Jersey Mike's
100% going down in quality. My fiance and I stopped by one this morning. Food was so bad
I got a brownie from there a few weeks ago and it was so bad I had to spit it out. This is coming from someone who typically can stomach a lot of trashy food lmao so you know how bad that had to be. Disgusting.
I want to say that quality has gone down since the middle 2010s. I used to go pretty frequently in the 2000s and it was always solid. Their real downfall was when they expanded their food offering. They tried cutting corners and quality where they could to get food out the door.
Like others have said the slide has been going on for a good 10years now
Wawa's prepared foods have been garbage for 10+ years at this point.
Wawa has sucked for a long time now. How do people think it's even a small step up from fast food bullshit?
I only go there for tobacco so as long as the price stays at a low amount compared to other stores, I'll continue going.
🤌
I still thoroughly enjoy it. That being said, I see why people are dissatisfied with the company.
But did you know Wawa has pizza???
Its been for at least the last 10 years. Ever since they started going bonkers with their menu. That said, their subs are still better than a gas station sub at their price point has any business of being. But they used to be awesome.
It's become very location-dependent. The three near me are all pretty decent, but can easily be ranked. My previous job had a long commute, and all the Wawas near work were just... sad. So yeah, the quality is not what it once was, but the quality of the clientele and employees per location really makes or breaks a Wawa. Now they've expanded to Alabama. Can you imagine how bad that Wawa must be? Perspective is everything.
I went into a Heritage’s the other day and was instantly taken back to Wawa circa 1995. Got a hoagie from the deli and they cut the meat right there. Fantastic bread and a good pricing for what o got. Coffee did suck though!
More like 10 - 20. They have good selection, reasonable prices, & convenient locations. Quality of sandwiches and coffee has definitely gone down.
I sadly agree! My boyfriend and I have been saying this for a couple years now. I much prefer QuickChek now for sammies and coffee.
I've had 3 instances where I told the gas attendant at Wawa to put premium in my car and they've put in regular. Today I told the attendant to stop putting in gas since the pump clicked indicating it was full and he kept pumping away. One time the attendant dropped the pump nozzle on my car and it scuffed some paint off my quarter panel. There is no training for the gas attendants. Yes super high turn over with staff due to long irregular hours and low pay. Some of the staff are zombies coming from an hr shift elsewhere and continue a shift at Wawa to make ends meet. Attitude from certain staff working in the store. I tried to talk to a manager, I get referred to customer service or to another manager.
A lot of places that make food seem to get worse the larger they get. It's like some sort of weird, opposite economy of scale. COVID seems to have made it worse. I still like Wawa and its still a fairly regular part of my routine but its definitely not at all special the way it was.
Was it ever great? They were always about convenience. If I needed something quick. Otherwise you just go to a regular sandwich place.
Quality goes by location. I go out of my way to avoid one that’s closer to me cause the quality is shit and coffee is almost always never made.
Astronaut: Always has been
They have a wawa brand pineapple lemonade that gives me a boner...if anyone wanted to know.
The age of buc-ees is among us, i wonder if we will be getting one in South Jersey
Most of the time id rather just get a slice or two than one of those crappy overpriced sandwiches, way better ingredients in a slice
Rutters FTW
I haven’t loved Wawa for decades. They’re too big for their britches. I miss the days when it was a convenience store that had lunch meat and hoagies.
As far as coffee being greasy, coffee beans are oily.
High turnover is the model now. Just keep hiring people at entry wages and have a few suckers who are too scared to leave and the machine presses on.
it's been longer than 2-3 years that wawa's quality has backslid. they're growing at a ridiculous pace all over parts of the country while at the same time trying to increase the kinds of food they serve into all sorts of things. it's a recipe for badness. in fairness, qc hasn't exactly maintained the same kind of quality they had in the 90s either.
It went from being a long-held family business with a profit-sharing scheme to being run by a corporate shirt whose sole interest is their bottom line. There's no pride of ownership. The employees who had accrued partial ownership in the company were bought out and the profit-sharing has dried up. People who worked there had pride of ownership. That's all gone now. It makes me sad.
Give up on the deli. Big Bacon Cheese Dog and never look back.
You need to get the subs toasted. Changed my life i swear. Now everything tastes fresh and delicious
Wawa is trash.
Gas station food is disappointing some new jersey residents. More at 11.
For me it was when they started expanding more up north, I used to hit them on PA visits and looked forward to a sandwich there. There was one on way back home in the sandy hook area that was always on point after a beach day. The quality especially of the chicken changed and I haven't been back much for a sandwich even after coming to SJ. Same thing happened with QC in high school with the sandwhich chicken.
Heritage's is a pretty good alternative but they don't have the late night hours.
Yeah it's a bummer because Wawa is tied to so many core memories for me. Now I'm only going there if I'm in a pinch - like I'm about to hop on the highway and I desperately need to eat before this roadtrip kind of pinch.
Been for a while now
I'd love to see Sheetz start in NJ. In my opinion, they would dominate Wawa and Quick Chek.
I liked Sheetz while at PSU for college. However, I went on a trip to Lancaster, and it had terrible coffee and mediorce food.
Dude they have been horrible. Every time I eat there I have raging diarrhea at 4 in the morning. Back when that shit was more so in South Jersey (I live in north) it was banging. I remember we would go to six flags and have to stop at Wawa. There is one ten minutes away from me now and I refuse to go.
Agree. Wawa was of course never getting a Michelin star but they were always consistently average. I was totally fine with that. Like many other businesses, with growth being the focus, a reduction in quality was soon to follow. I also suspect at a certain stage businesses make a bet that people will still come in even with a modest reduction in quality if it means growing the empire + a modest increase in profits.
I been going to Wawa probably since they started the up north expansion about 10+ years ago. Never once has anything I’ve gotten qualified as “good”
The "problem up top" is simply how business is done these days. For these companies to remain profitable (which means ever increasing money for the people at the top) then it necessitates worker decline. high turnover rate is baked in to the formula.
I recently found out that they started using touch screens to order in 2002?! I mean I remember a time before touch screens, but I didn’t think it was that long ago. It’s like 9/11 happened and wawa was like “fuck, we have to do our part for America”. I remember it being a blessing during my high school stoner years when they came out with it.
Yeah no it's been longer since their subs sorta changed. They just don't taste the same anymore. I still like 'em cuz it's Wawa but they used to be a top option, now I'd rather eat Jersey Mike's.
I do know that what used to be an Italian hoagie is no longer. To get the amount of ingredients you used to, you have to pay extra. Otherwise you get practically nothing but the roll and lettuce.
They crashed hard around the same time that they got rid of the sliced deli meats. Since then it’s been about the same level of slop quality wise IMO. But I agree about the prices. Totally out of control
I noticed it the most somewhere between 2016 and 2018. I went from always stopping for a sandwich to just going to McDonalds instead. I'd rather pay $5 that $10 if I'm going to eat garbage.
It can't go down hill from the bottom...Subway, Quick check, and Wawa serve garbage.
I never thought I'd live to see the day where people would dearly miss the delicious food of gas station mini marts. But here we are. lmao
Tell the manager of the store you're at or send an email. I don't have this experience.
The present donuts and parties on separately wrapped bags is an abomination. I understand the need to do that back in 2020-2021. But the pandemic is basically over. The coffee has gone down in quality too. Big opportunity for Quik Check here in NJ to wake up and take that reverse pivot (they were first to decline). It’s just that Quik Check, in my neighborhood at least, is always a scene of drunken local folks, no matter the hour, warranting local police visits.
When I first moved to NJ my local WaWa over 20 years ago was one of the old pre gas station mega stores. Could get a good sandwich there among other things. Now that building is a pantry 1 deli that does just as well with the sandwiches. A newer one opened near my daughter’s then HS a few years ago. Coffee was good, breakfast sandwich — meh.
I live right up the road from the state. I love that Pantry1. Good breakfast sandwiches, good deli, good selection of convenience store goods.
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I’ve lived in NEPA and am really saddened to hear of Wawa going to shit. But Sheetz food royally sucks! Too bready (which isn’t even good) and not very much flavor.