Photo: Joni Hanebutt / iStock Editorial / Getty Images
New Jersey residents have spoken, and their favorite convenience store is Wawa. According to a poll conducted by Monmouth University, Wawa is the top choice for convenience stores in every region of the Garden State.
In South Jersey, nearly 80% of residents prefer Wawa, while 61% of Central Jersey and 31% of North Jersey residents also favor the store. Only 15% of New Jerseyans said they prefer 7-Eleven, and another 14% would rather visit QuickChek.
Wawa, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, has a significant presence in New Jersey. The state is home to nearly 300 of Wawa’s more than 1,000 locations. Despite this, there are still some towns in New Jersey that don't have a Wawa, including some of the state's biggest cities
In the last two months of 2023 alone, five new Wawa stores opened in New Jersey. However, there are still 11 towns and cities that are in need of a Wawa, including Atlantic City, MetLife Stadium, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, Mahwah, Paramus, Paterson, Morristown, Rutgers University, and Trenton.
Wawa's popularity in New Jersey is not surprising given its wide range of offerings. Besides being a convenience store, Wawa also operates as a gas station and offers a variety of food options, including hoagies, pretzels, and even pizza.
New Jersey has the most Wawa stores in the U.S., accounting for about 28% of the total number of Wawa’s in the country. Florida, which has the second highest Wawa count, has 267 stores, making up about 26% of total Wawa’s. Even Pennsylvania, where Wawa originated, has fewer stores than New Jersey, solidifying New Jersey's status as the Wawa capital of the world.