Apparently, Wawa is a big deal in the north.
A really, really big deal.
A very very very big deal.
Wawa has spent decades making millions in the Northeast and creating a rabid fanbase that until tonight I didn’t realize existed. Somewhere along the way one of the higher-ups in the company realized that Florida is crawling with Northern implants and even more visitors from the Northeast coast. And so came the decision to open the first Wawa in the Southeast, creating plenty of buzz in Orlando. I actually live about a minute away from the first Wawa of the Sunshine State. Not at all knowing its power and popularity I passed it off as just another place opening in the suddenly-clustering Central Florida Parkway.
But with the Facebooks and Twitters going crazy, and even the mayor arriving at opening day, I had to give it a shot. So after work I decided to head over there, get me one of their infamous hoagies, and see what the deal is.
This
Place
Was
Busy
Holy catharsis. Holy mackerel. Holy shrimp. This place was jam-packed to the core. There were people waiting outside, people hunting for parking spots, and barely any room inside to breathe. If anyone ever wants to argue that Florida doesn’t have many Northerners---just come here to Wawas. I can guarantee you that there were less pure locals than those from the Atlantic coast. There was even a slight hipster vibe to this joint, something that most Central Florida spots outside UCF lack. Wawa is basically a Subways/7-11 hybrid jacked up on Barry Bonds steroids.
The procedure to getting your food was quite interesting—picture Subways without the high school dropout that doesn’t really care asking you what kind of sandwich you want. You go up to one of several touchscreens and pretty much create your order. You can choose what kind of hoagie you want, what sides you’d like, and what frozen concoction you want. Since I have no prior experience or knowledge of this place, I went with a chocolate caramel cream smoothie and an Italian pesto hoagie.
My number was 617----they were calling numbers in the 200s by the time my order printed. I was going to wait for a while. One of the employees was holding the microphone calling the numbers. Your number gets called twice—once for confirmation, and the second time for when the food is actually ready. But, I was going to wait---along with the seemingly hundreds of others. 45 minutes to be exact. Yes, I waited 45 minutes for a hoagie.
But during those 45 minutes it was quite entertaining because there were free smoothie samples being handed out, free coffee in the back corner, and a multitude of overly excited people anticipating their order while trying not to just snap. We had some extremely loud people pretty much announce and exclaim their happiness upon getting their number. Despite the near-hour wait, the Wawa crew breezed through order after order with 4-5 orders every couple minutes. They were on the ball. And full of smiles too.
In the midst of the hoagie wait, I actually got my smoothie first, which was a chocolate caramel cream. I was shocked at how good this smoothie turned out considering that they churn out smoothies seemingly every five seconds. It was thick, full of flavor and although it didn't have much of a caramel kick the cream more than made up for it. Was a fantastic way to start the dinner. Now, in terms of prices its hard to judge since they were throwing so many specials for the Opening Week event that my dinner cost only $4.
I finally get my hoagie and exit the building to avoid anymore claustrophobia. Since there were no more tables outside the Wawa (of course, the darn place is still busy) I took my sandwich to the car and started consuming it right there.
Woah..
My pesto Italian hoagie was legit. The key to a great hoagie/sub is the freshness of the bread accompanied by the right amount of filling. My meal had both as the bread was crisp and the amount of meat and cheese was phenomenal. Everything tasted fresh as if all the ingriedients had just been delivered. Now I know what the hype is all about. While the place apparently also specializes in quesadillas as it has its own category, I will be more than happy consuming hoagies everytime I visit.
That's right, I will definitely return. For this crazy Northern staple is worthy of the hype, the praise, and the insanity that follows as you attempt to eat their fantastic food. From the surprisingly delightful service to its loyal (and sometimes scary) fanbase to its I-am-humiliating-Subways food, Wawa is nothing short of Wow.
Wawa
5910 Central Florida Parkway
Orlando, FL 32821
P.S. I never thought I would be reviewing a gas station joint in this blog
P.P.S. Its been several days since my visit, and passing by again this evening I noticed the darn place is still full....
