New ‘Flagship’ Wawa In Center City To Have Seating

Wawa will open its first store with interior seating in Center City Philadelphia this year, the company announced Thursday as it celebrated its 51st anniversary by giving away free coffee.

Work on the store at South Broad and Walnut Streets should begin in May and be finished in time for a Thanksgiving opening, said Lori Bruce, a Wawa spokeswoman.

Wawas in Florida and several other locations have outside seating, but not indoors.

Bruce said besides the seating the “new flagship store … will feature many new design concepts.”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20150417_Wawa_celebrates_anniversary_with_free_coffee.html#L3Rq2Z2yXVzmS5Lj.99

Turkey Hill Customers Question Safety In Wake Of Robberies

When Turkey Hill comes to mind, most people think of flavorful ice cream and sweet iced tea. But in Wilkes-Barre, many mention the recent spike in robberies at the company’s stores before thinking of their signature snacks.

Since January 2014, city police have responded to at least 22 Turkey Hill robberies, 13 of which occurred in the last four months.

Frequent customers have not abandoned these stores, but some have questioned the safety during late-night hours.

Lisa Cummings of Mountain Top often visits the Turkey Hill on North Pennsylvania Avenue after work, but said she would probably not go to the store at 3 a.m.

Read more:

http://citizensvoice.com/news/turkey-hill-customers-question-safety-in-wake-of-robberies-1.1862265

Turkey Hill Robberies In Wilkes-Barre Area Raise Security Questions

Sheetz, a popular convenience chain in Northeastern Pennsylvania, is open all night year round. Yet it seems rare that the chain’s stores get robbed.

The same can’t be said, however, for Turkey Hill stores in the Wyoming Valley.

There have been 10 robberies at Turkey Hill stores in Wilkes-Barre and Kingston since Jan. 26, of which three of those robberies happened last week.

What’s the difference?

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/home_top-local-news-news/152453142/

Sheetz To Add Food-Only Stores To Promote Growth In Urban Areas, Exec Woodley Says

Family-owned convenience store chain Sheetz Inc. crossed a milestone last month when it opened its 500th store, one of about 30 the Altoona-based company plans to open this year.

Known for its large gas stations with myriad fresh made-to-order food choices that are popular with travelers, the company grew to $6.9 billion in sales last year, up nearly 5 percent from the previous year.

In a bid to expand into urban markets, the company, which employs more than 16,000 people, is pushing a new store model — one without the gas pumps that focuses on higher-margin sales of food and beverages, said Dave Woodley, the company’s executive vice president of sales and marketing.

Read more: http://triblive.com/business/headlines/7934196-74/woodley-trib-stores#ixzz3UktblLyN
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Coming Soon (Again) To The Big Board: Sunoco

English: Sunoco Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sunoco’s storied name, absent from the New York Stock Exchange since the Philadelphia company was acquired by a Dallas energy firm in 2012, will return to the Big Board this year.

Energy Transfer Partners L.P. (ETP), a Dallas pipeline company that became Sunoco Inc.’s parent company two years ago, announced Thursday night that it will give its recently acquired Texas convenience-store company, Susser Petroleum Partners, a new name that is kind of an old one – Sunoco L.P.

The new Sunoco L.P., which will trade under the ticker symbol SUN, will eventually become the corporate umbrella for ETP’s growing portfolio of fuel stations and convenience stores, including Sunoco Inc. ETP had said it intended to drop its retail assets into the Susser partnership when it announced the $1.8 billion acquisition in April.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20140927_Coming_soon__again__to_the_Big_Board__Sunoco.html#D5YWhWdiMwxH7yS5.99

Wawa vs. Sheetz: Fast-Food Chains Mark Their Own Territories

English: Interior of a Super Sheetz in Altoona, PA. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pennsylvania divides a few ways: Phillies vs. Pirates. Democratic ex-factory towns vs. Republican ex-farming townships. Nittany Lions fans vs. everyone else.

And Wawa vs. Sheetz – though that might be the least bitter rivalry:  The state’s two big gas-and-milk, Cokes-and-smokes, Tastykakes-and-store-built sandwich chains try not to fight.  They’re not like Ford vs. GM. Instead, they have mostly drawn lines and split the land between them.  Like Comcast and TimeWarner Cable.

Which you prefer depends on where you were raised:

Wawa is Philly and the Shore from Jersey to Virginia Beach.  Also Florida, since last year.

Sheetz is Pittsburgh and the valley highways below the green ridges, all the way to Greensboro, N.C.

English: Wawa gas station located along Pennsylvania Route 611 (Easton Road) in Horsham, Pennsylvania. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130331_Wawa_vs__Sheetz__Fast-food_chains_mark_their_own_territories.html

Wawa’s New Boss Pledges A Bread Oven In Every Store: Update

UPDATE:  After readers asked about changes to Wawa’s cold-cuts prep, spokeswoman Lori Bruce says: “We have been phasing out slicers for a few years now; we currently have them in about 100 stores. ” Most stores now use pre-sliced meats and cheeses “received fresh… on a daily basis” through Wawa’s South Jersey-based supplpy chain (there’s a different chain for Florida stores) from Berks, Giordano’s, and other cold-cut houses; Dietz and Watson has not been a supplier.

EARLIER:  Chris Gheysens, who’s been Wawa’s CEO since New Year’s Day, lives in South Jersey and works at company HQ in Delaware County when he’s not running around 600 -plus Wawa stores from North Jersey to Orlando.

So he doesn’t get downtown much, Gheysens admitted to the Irish American Business Chamber & Network (corrected) at its Pyramid Club luncheon today.  “You know how it is.  I’ve got four kids.  So not a dollar on me” when he had to feed a meter this morning, he said.

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/Wawas-new-boss-pledges-a-bakery-in-every-store.html#ixzz2IIF8yFhO
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Recession Buster Alert!

Image via Wikipedia

Wawa stores are offering any size Wawa coffee for $1.00, the entire month of January.  So if you live near Wawa and like coffee, you might want to include them in your daily routine this month!

Gotta take advantage of those savings when we can!

Never Thought I Would Live To See This

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has maintained a strangle-hold on alcohol sales in our state for decades.  For many years people have been screaming about reforming the State Store system and the state monopoly on alcohol sales.  Many other states allow alcohol sales in convenience and grocery stores.

Interesting article below on the subject from the Center Daily Times that involves Altoona based Sheetz, Inc.  There is a Sheetz store located on Route 422 near Birdsboro.

http://www.centredaily.com/2010/04/29/1946117/state-board-oks-sheetz-in-store.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter