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The Wawa Way: How a Funny Name and Six Core Values Revolutionized Convenience
Wawa, a family business with a history in dairy and manufacturing, expanded into retail in 1964, offering a friendly, personal alternative to supermarkets. Since then, the convenience store grew into a well-known company that competes against the biggest industry players in the world in three areas—fuel, convenience, and food—all while maintaining their personal approach and small business mentality. Now, almost 50 years later, Wawa has opened its first store in Florida and has begun to play on the national field. How did it happen? What are the reasons for their success? Why have they been able to go up against the big guys with nothing more than homegrown talent?
With a mixture of personal history and business advice, Howard Stoeckel discusses the last 50 years of Wawa’s growth, development, and expansion. It’s the story of how a small company with a funny name made a big difference, and all it took was a little goose sense.
With a mixture of personal history and business advice, Howard Stoeckel discusses the last 50 years of Wawa’s growth, development, and expansion. It’s the story of how a small company with a funny name made a big difference, and all it took was a little goose sense.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published April 8, 2014
27 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
April 15, 2016
interesting that I finished the book on Wawa day (April 14th). I read this book because my son works at Wawa and has since 2012. he LOVES wawa, everything about it, and wants to make a career of it. they offer great benefits (that ESOP!) and training and he loves his crew. he was recently promoted and while I was disappointed he wouldn't just go to college, I think he's made a wise choice ... and the education will come. what a wonderful company, a fun read even if it was a PR piece (kudos to Stokel for pulling that off!)
May 11, 2014
Part of me is keenly aware that I just read a 238-page advertisement for a corporate retailer, and paid $20 for the privilege. However, I picked up this book out of idleness and flipped it open to the chapter on employee ownership (Chapter 5, "Private and Shared Ownership"), and that was intriguing enough to want to read the whole thing.
Many corporate executives say a great many things to motivate their employees and get the best work out of them. Some of them might actually believe the things they are saying. But while this book is written by a former CEO of Wawa, who is still on the Board of Directors, there are a number of quotes and thoughts in this book that I would never expect from any CEO of a public company. As an example that proves the rule, Tim Cook (current CEO of Apple) was recently dressed down by Wall Street execs who didn't like the amount Apple was spending on "social responsibility". While Cook held his ground, it's difficult for a CEO to do so when investors (including you, if you have retirement money invested in stocks or mutual funds) are demanding a better bottom line.
Wawa's approach, according to this book, is to remain a private company--and they have used legal vehicles to try to make sure it *stays* private for up to another 150 years. Rather than being concerned about quarterly results, author Howard Stoeckel claims, the Wawa executives and board are more concerned about results over a quarter century at a time. Being free from the pressures of Wall Street means that their growth is somewhat slower, but from the picture painted by this book, they generate more *value* than a typically short-sighted company. Note that the value they generate is not simply expressed in revenue dollars, but a "convenience retail experience" that customers enjoy so much, that they become fanatically loyal, a connection to the community in the forms of direct support for emergency/first-responders and aggressive participation in local charities, and a strong career path for employees, among other things.
After a few weeks, the "shine" might wear off and I might find a few things to criticize about this approach, or the book, or the author. But at this point, I'd say if you are concerned about the modern "corporatism" or "crony-capitalism" that dominates our economy, it contains a few ideas and real-world examples that deserve your attention. I have never been to a Wawa store. I plan to check it out, and see whether it lives up to the ideals described in the book.
Many corporate executives say a great many things to motivate their employees and get the best work out of them. Some of them might actually believe the things they are saying. But while this book is written by a former CEO of Wawa, who is still on the Board of Directors, there are a number of quotes and thoughts in this book that I would never expect from any CEO of a public company. As an example that proves the rule, Tim Cook (current CEO of Apple) was recently dressed down by Wall Street execs who didn't like the amount Apple was spending on "social responsibility". While Cook held his ground, it's difficult for a CEO to do so when investors (including you, if you have retirement money invested in stocks or mutual funds) are demanding a better bottom line.
Wawa's approach, according to this book, is to remain a private company--and they have used legal vehicles to try to make sure it *stays* private for up to another 150 years. Rather than being concerned about quarterly results, author Howard Stoeckel claims, the Wawa executives and board are more concerned about results over a quarter century at a time. Being free from the pressures of Wall Street means that their growth is somewhat slower, but from the picture painted by this book, they generate more *value* than a typically short-sighted company. Note that the value they generate is not simply expressed in revenue dollars, but a "convenience retail experience" that customers enjoy so much, that they become fanatically loyal, a connection to the community in the forms of direct support for emergency/first-responders and aggressive participation in local charities, and a strong career path for employees, among other things.
After a few weeks, the "shine" might wear off and I might find a few things to criticize about this approach, or the book, or the author. But at this point, I'd say if you are concerned about the modern "corporatism" or "crony-capitalism" that dominates our economy, it contains a few ideas and real-world examples that deserve your attention. I have never been to a Wawa store. I plan to check it out, and see whether it lives up to the ideals described in the book.
October 28, 2018
How uplifting and inspiring. The positive message of “servant leadership” permeates the narrative. Wawa is truly in a class all its own, and it was fascinating to get a “glimpse behind the curtain.”
It’s interesting how The Wawa Way seemed almost magical throughout the story - but in the spirit of transparency, a brief section almost glossed over the number of training hours that each associate must complete to advance in their Wawa careers. So it’s not all magic - it’s deliberate and involves work! 😁
But it translates to company loyalty because it seems like the associates truly and proudly share ownership in the company. No wonder the coffee tastes so much better from the store than when we use Wawa ground coffee in our coffeemakers at work. 😂
It’s interesting how The Wawa Way seemed almost magical throughout the story - but in the spirit of transparency, a brief section almost glossed over the number of training hours that each associate must complete to advance in their Wawa careers. So it’s not all magic - it’s deliberate and involves work! 😁
But it translates to company loyalty because it seems like the associates truly and proudly share ownership in the company. No wonder the coffee tastes so much better from the store than when we use Wawa ground coffee in our coffeemakers at work. 😂
September 24, 2025
This book is total corporate propaganda and I am here for it. I never really fully understood why everyone loves Wawa - I mean like it’s awesome but like what’s the big deal. The name is of course funny and the sandwiches are good, but the cult of Wawa perplexed me. Reading this book helped me understand why Wawa is relatively unique, and was certainly even moreso in decades prior. Very light and enjoyable read!
December 27, 2025
As a huge lifetime Wawa fangirl I was so excited to find this book at a bookstore in Dallas. Decided to give to my brother as a Christmas gift since he also shares my obsession but decided to read it after he opened it. It was definitely a lot of rah-rah corporate culture discussion but it sounds like a great company to work for and learning the history of my beloved convenience store was very interesting. Would recommend this book for any fellow Wawa obsessives like myself.
January 22, 2026
Key to Wawa success are :
1. Private ownership - wood family retains ownership of 52% of business and the company is not forced to report or act on wall streets whims
2. Shared ownership - 38% owned by the ESOP giving employees buy in on the company
3. Differentiation - started as a food store , not a fuel station, so merchandising private label items, quality food, good offering, were key competencies.
4. Hyper Regionalization - Wawa on every corner in the 5 markets they played in, created routine and affinity for customers. You could not avoid there stores. As a result they became very involved in the local markets
1. Private ownership - wood family retains ownership of 52% of business and the company is not forced to report or act on wall streets whims
2. Shared ownership - 38% owned by the ESOP giving employees buy in on the company
3. Differentiation - started as a food store , not a fuel station, so merchandising private label items, quality food, good offering, were key competencies.
4. Hyper Regionalization - Wawa on every corner in the 5 markets they played in, created routine and affinity for customers. You could not avoid there stores. As a result they became very involved in the local markets
June 29, 2014
I was first introduced to Wawa during the summer of 1987...at least that's when I think it was. That's when I spent a four-day weekend in Cape May with my fiancé and her sister. The cute little Wawa on Texas Ave was our grocery store while we were there; and every time we returned to Cape May, we had to seek out "our Wawa."
We discovered Wawa again when a dear friend moved from Philadelphia to Bethlehem...actually, after she moved from one side of Bethlehem to another...and the local Wawa became the second stop we made after unpacking our bags at her house. This was a place that we made a point of taking our daughter's friends when they came along on vacation with us, and that they remembered almost more than the trips to the beach. When we're in Wawa territory, starting the day without a trip to "Wawaland" is almost unthinkable.
So when I discovered that a book had been written about this company and their wonderful stores, I had to have it. Not only that, but I had to read it. And it's great...it's as great as the stores are. It explains why people like me love Wawa in a way that people don't love 7-11 or most other convenience stores. It explains why Wawas are so clean, neat, and well taken care of, as opposed to the properties of many other convenience stores. And it makes it sound like Wawa would be as great a place to work as it is to visit.
So read the book. Definitely read the book.
And then go find your nearest Wawa...even if you have to drive three hours to get there.
We discovered Wawa again when a dear friend moved from Philadelphia to Bethlehem...actually, after she moved from one side of Bethlehem to another...and the local Wawa became the second stop we made after unpacking our bags at her house. This was a place that we made a point of taking our daughter's friends when they came along on vacation with us, and that they remembered almost more than the trips to the beach. When we're in Wawa territory, starting the day without a trip to "Wawaland" is almost unthinkable.
So when I discovered that a book had been written about this company and their wonderful stores, I had to have it. Not only that, but I had to read it. And it's great...it's as great as the stores are. It explains why people like me love Wawa in a way that people don't love 7-11 or most other convenience stores. It explains why Wawas are so clean, neat, and well taken care of, as opposed to the properties of many other convenience stores. And it makes it sound like Wawa would be as great a place to work as it is to visit.
So read the book. Definitely read the book.
And then go find your nearest Wawa...even if you have to drive three hours to get there.
June 11, 2014
Partly read this for work (because Wawa is one of our big clients) but partly read this because I'm a branding junkie. It was pretty good, got a little repetitive in spots and a bit of a PR dump, but nevertheless there were some cute anecdotes, and some good insight into Wawa's history and values. If you like Wawa, you'll like some of this book.
September 16, 2014
Five stars because reading it was like spending several hours in a Wawa cocoon, which would be fantastic.
June 13, 2017
Quick read. I enjoyed the background history information and the details on Wawa's culture, but toward the end, it became too much of a commercial for Wawa. I do love Wawa though!
Read
January 30, 2022I love Wawa. I don’t live within the borders of Wawaland, but we travel often in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and every trip requires a stop at Wawa, filling our basket with road food. On one trip our daughter cried actual tears because we didn’t get her to Wawa in time to get her favorite breakfast sandwich.
I never spent much time thinking about why I love Wawa. I think mostly it’s because the food is good. The sandwiches are good, and the soup is good, and the mac and cheese is good. I like that you can get healthier food at Wawa, including fruits and vegetables. I appreciate the apple slices and chunks of melon. And the store is always clean and bright and airy-looking.
This book says that there is another reason: that Wawa has a culture of valuing people, and when you walk in the door you can just sense that vibe in the air of neighborliness and good feelings. At first I approached these claims with a bit of skepticism. Don’t all corporations say that they treat workers and customers as family? (Our former auto insurance company had made just those claims right before they dropped our coverage.)
But then came the testimonials, and the stories of acts of kindness by Wawa associates, and now it was my turn to be literally crying. Author Howard Stoeckel, former CEO of Wawa, says, “We didn’t tell our people to do these things. They did them because they had soaked up the Wawa values.” So I was convinced.
Wawa began as a family business. The Wood family initially had their hand in a lot of businesses, including ironworks and textiles, but it was the dairy business that really took off. Wawa delivered milk door to door in a wagon. Until supermarkets became a thing and milk delivery went out of style. But supermarkets were closed nights and weekends, so there was still a market for a store where people could pick up a few things. Wawa became that store.
Later they would add sandwiches and coffee and gas. And of course, ATMs with no fee. Wawa had to keep innovating. Convenience alone wasn’t enough as supermarkets became open around the clock, and fast food became prevalent. Wawa’s latest success was the opening of stores in Florida.
Wawa has been able to stay flexible and true to its values because of being a privately owned company. Stoeckel says that publicly-traded companies always have to make decisions based on short term profit gains. Wawa can play a long game, and invest in things that promote quality and satisfaction but don’t necessarily immediately pay out.
Wawa also has a very generous employee ownership plan, where employees can buy stock, and most of them do. That means everyone has an interest in seeing the company succeed. When Wawa does well, the guy at the counter does well, too.
Not all of Wawa’s decisions have been successful, and Stoeckel is honest about some missteps through the years. But the big takeaway is downright inspirational. Chris Gheysens, Stoeckel’s successor, writes that Wawa’s higher purpose is not just to serve people fresh food and coffee, but to enrich their lives by positive interactions. “All those life moments we create every day with our customers and each other lead to happy, fulfilled, and connected people throughout Wawaland. And we know that happy, connected people make happy, strong and vibrant communities.”
This sounds hokey, but it is true. Positive human interactions do make happy people and strong communities. You can read that in psychology textbooks. You can hear it in Ted talks. You can hear it in church. And as unlikely as it may seem, a company that serves coffee and sandwiches is actually trying to put it into practice, and most of the time succeeding.
I never spent much time thinking about why I love Wawa. I think mostly it’s because the food is good. The sandwiches are good, and the soup is good, and the mac and cheese is good. I like that you can get healthier food at Wawa, including fruits and vegetables. I appreciate the apple slices and chunks of melon. And the store is always clean and bright and airy-looking.
This book says that there is another reason: that Wawa has a culture of valuing people, and when you walk in the door you can just sense that vibe in the air of neighborliness and good feelings. At first I approached these claims with a bit of skepticism. Don’t all corporations say that they treat workers and customers as family? (Our former auto insurance company had made just those claims right before they dropped our coverage.)
But then came the testimonials, and the stories of acts of kindness by Wawa associates, and now it was my turn to be literally crying. Author Howard Stoeckel, former CEO of Wawa, says, “We didn’t tell our people to do these things. They did them because they had soaked up the Wawa values.” So I was convinced.
Wawa began as a family business. The Wood family initially had their hand in a lot of businesses, including ironworks and textiles, but it was the dairy business that really took off. Wawa delivered milk door to door in a wagon. Until supermarkets became a thing and milk delivery went out of style. But supermarkets were closed nights and weekends, so there was still a market for a store where people could pick up a few things. Wawa became that store.
Later they would add sandwiches and coffee and gas. And of course, ATMs with no fee. Wawa had to keep innovating. Convenience alone wasn’t enough as supermarkets became open around the clock, and fast food became prevalent. Wawa’s latest success was the opening of stores in Florida.
Wawa has been able to stay flexible and true to its values because of being a privately owned company. Stoeckel says that publicly-traded companies always have to make decisions based on short term profit gains. Wawa can play a long game, and invest in things that promote quality and satisfaction but don’t necessarily immediately pay out.
Wawa also has a very generous employee ownership plan, where employees can buy stock, and most of them do. That means everyone has an interest in seeing the company succeed. When Wawa does well, the guy at the counter does well, too.
Not all of Wawa’s decisions have been successful, and Stoeckel is honest about some missteps through the years. But the big takeaway is downright inspirational. Chris Gheysens, Stoeckel’s successor, writes that Wawa’s higher purpose is not just to serve people fresh food and coffee, but to enrich their lives by positive interactions. “All those life moments we create every day with our customers and each other lead to happy, fulfilled, and connected people throughout Wawaland. And we know that happy, connected people make happy, strong and vibrant communities.”
This sounds hokey, but it is true. Positive human interactions do make happy people and strong communities. You can read that in psychology textbooks. You can hear it in Ted talks. You can hear it in church. And as unlikely as it may seem, a company that serves coffee and sandwiches is actually trying to put it into practice, and most of the time succeeding.
September 9, 2021
I found this book at my local thrift store. I picked it up because I grew up going to Wawa in Pennsylvania. It took a long time, but there are now Wawa's in the area where I live now. And everyone asked that age-old question, "What the heck is a Wawa?"
When I was a kid it was a place to go to get a great hoagie. For the grown ups, it was where they loved to get their coffee. As an adult, it's where my kids and I go for a quick fresh made meal or grab-and-go snack if we're heading off on a road trip, and to fuel up the car. They have some of the foods I loved when I was growing up -- those hoagies and soft pretzels -- that you just really can't duplicate elsewhere.
The book gives a good overview of the history of the company, and I learned quite a bit that I never learned growing up. There was also an awful lot of corporate, positive morale boosting rhetoric. Do I really think the guy making the hoagies feels like a part-owner and on equal footing with the execs? Of course not. But that's a bit of the line this book was trying to sell. Ha! Cute story. But then again, I expected that type of thing when I picked up the book.
It's good promotional material for the brand. For those, like me, who grew up on Wawa, learning some of those extra details is interesting, if not really exciting or fun, reading. When I get a book like that I generally end up reading the first sentence of every paragraph until I hit something that piques my interest enough to read in more depth.
Now, it's headed back to the thrift shop in my next donation bag. Maybe someone else will come across it and have a little childhood nostalgia.
When I was a kid it was a place to go to get a great hoagie. For the grown ups, it was where they loved to get their coffee. As an adult, it's where my kids and I go for a quick fresh made meal or grab-and-go snack if we're heading off on a road trip, and to fuel up the car. They have some of the foods I loved when I was growing up -- those hoagies and soft pretzels -- that you just really can't duplicate elsewhere.
The book gives a good overview of the history of the company, and I learned quite a bit that I never learned growing up. There was also an awful lot of corporate, positive morale boosting rhetoric. Do I really think the guy making the hoagies feels like a part-owner and on equal footing with the execs? Of course not. But that's a bit of the line this book was trying to sell. Ha! Cute story. But then again, I expected that type of thing when I picked up the book.
It's good promotional material for the brand. For those, like me, who grew up on Wawa, learning some of those extra details is interesting, if not really exciting or fun, reading. When I get a book like that I generally end up reading the first sentence of every paragraph until I hit something that piques my interest enough to read in more depth.
Now, it's headed back to the thrift shop in my next donation bag. Maybe someone else will come across it and have a little childhood nostalgia.
September 18, 2022
There is something special about Wawa. This book helped me understand why.
Lots of Wawa memories: Hoagies after the bars close, morning coffee and newspaper down the shore, getting the quart of green Gatorade as a pre-volleyball ritual, telling the lady behind the deli my order (pre-touchscreen), post-sports visits with my kids, or just being thankful for the no-fee ATM or reasonably clean bathroom. I’ll never forget my trip to Wawa during the biggest of the winter storms of 1993. I love their hoagies, soft pretzels, and their selection of cold drinks. A cup of coffee from Wawa is how I indulge ($5 cup at that other place?!?). And people, including me, do hold the door for each other.
As for the book, I got a bit fatigued of the self-aggrandizing and would have preferred more “insider” info about their procurement and logistics success, staffing challenges, etc., but I think the author was content to stick with the corporate culture themes.
That said, despite my rating, I’m glad I read it.
Lots of Wawa memories: Hoagies after the bars close, morning coffee and newspaper down the shore, getting the quart of green Gatorade as a pre-volleyball ritual, telling the lady behind the deli my order (pre-touchscreen), post-sports visits with my kids, or just being thankful for the no-fee ATM or reasonably clean bathroom. I’ll never forget my trip to Wawa during the biggest of the winter storms of 1993. I love their hoagies, soft pretzels, and their selection of cold drinks. A cup of coffee from Wawa is how I indulge ($5 cup at that other place?!?). And people, including me, do hold the door for each other.
As for the book, I got a bit fatigued of the self-aggrandizing and would have preferred more “insider” info about their procurement and logistics success, staffing challenges, etc., but I think the author was content to stick with the corporate culture themes.
That said, despite my rating, I’m glad I read it.
June 25, 2025
There were some decent nuggets in here. I wanted this to be either in the form of In-N-Out Burger or go to opposite route, embrace weird and present it like Becoming Trader Joe's or Stew Leonard's. The author went the latter, but it wasn't nearly as good. That said, you do come away with understanding what Wawa is and what makes them special and why they are so differentiated in the marketplace.
They talk about the Dark Days and how the lessons learned drives them forward. I thought that commentary was excellent. There are some solid managerial nuggets and I enjoyed the commentary on how they went through the process of expanding into Florida. Some of the softer, squishier stuff I didn't enjoy, but does speak to their culture.
They talk about the Dark Days and how the lessons learned drives them forward. I thought that commentary was excellent. There are some solid managerial nuggets and I enjoyed the commentary on how they went through the process of expanding into Florida. Some of the softer, squishier stuff I didn't enjoy, but does speak to their culture.
February 1, 2026
My wife picked this book up for me not knowing exactly what it was about, but figuring that, as a consummate lover of all things Jersey, that it was up my alley. She was right! Part corporate history, part public relations and marketing, and part management training material, this book made me want to work at Wawa before I was halfway through. By the middle of it, I was rethinking my career. Now that I'm finished? I think Wawa is the type of place that other people should consider working. Heck, I might even make the trip out to Red roof corporate headquarters to drop off a resume and shake a few hands. It seems like the kind of company that would appreciate that kind of initiative.
May 12, 2021
The wawa cult haha. They really do push the narrative in this book but a lot of it is true at least in the new jersey area. I enjoyed the business side of this book and learning about Wawa a past. Definitely another marketing tool to make us love Wawa more. Quick read but almost felt like a commercial at some points.
May 16, 2025
Worth a read, but not sure how relatable or transferable the lessons are. It’s what they did, but not always why it worked or didn’t work. Ten years ago is already a lifetime ago. I don't think Wawa has the same power it once did. The coffee is not as good. The sandwiches are not as good. Is it better than any other convenience store? It is. But it’s not as special. I miss the smaller stores.
June 20, 2023
As a resident of south jersey, I enjoyed the local history. Some of the business principles and anecdotes were inspiring. I enjoy books about business origins. The story here is nice, but the book isn't always well written
July 16, 2023
DNF. I love Wawa but couldn’t get into this one. It reads like one big ad, and the author being a former Wawa CEO made it hard to take anything he wrote without a grain of salt. I support the principle of business he describes, but couldn’t bring myself to read nearly 300 pages about them.
March 26, 2019
Fun, sweet and seems truthful in my experience as a longstanding and frequent Wawa customer.
September 29, 2019
A 200+ page corporate puff piece, but I know more now about Wawa than I previously ever thought possible.
PS: Sheetz will always be better.
PS: Sheetz will always be better.
November 30, 2019
Reading about Wawa is like Dancing about Architecture - Elvis 'Wawa' Costello
November 2, 2021
Pretty interesting.
August 9, 2022
Great book about my favorite store.
Also allot of great points and ideas in leadership that I will use and instill in others as volunteer scout leader.
Also allot of great points and ideas in leadership that I will use and instill in others as volunteer scout leader.
August 18, 2023
Uniquely intriguing and insightful.
Read
September 13, 2024Delightful corporate propaganda
Read
January 11, 2026DNF. interminable corporate propaganda. Wawa coffee slaps tho
January 20, 2024
I usually write a review of books read as soon as I'm finished but waited a long time before writing this one. The Wawa Way read more like a case study rather than an imparting of a certain new knowledge about running and growing a business. Much of what was shared is a compilation of many concepts created by many great business leaders.
I live in "Wawa land" and once could say that I was in one of their stores almost every day of the week and sometimes more than once. However, I haven't purchased anything from this company since the 2020 summer of riots. It appears that the "Wawa Way" fueled by its core values (value people, delight customers, embrace change, do things right, do the right thing, and have a passion for winning) has, as Simon Sinek describes in his book Start with Why, surpassed the point where the "why" has been either sacrificed or forgotten as the company grew. I don't feel like a valued person, and I was much less than delighted with the actions of many Wawa store managers and their associates during the 2020 riots. Even corporate representatives monitoring their email correspondence showed very little care for how customers were feeling during those days, as evidenced by a response to an email that I sent about my concerns. Wawa stores, especially in Philadelphia, vilified law enforcement. Perhaps that was the "embrace change" core value? Things seemed to have diminished from there like dominoes.
As a small business owner with a location directly across the street from a Wawa, I'm using The Wawa Way as a cautionary tale and making sure that our "why" is solid and can pass the test of time.
I live in "Wawa land" and once could say that I was in one of their stores almost every day of the week and sometimes more than once. However, I haven't purchased anything from this company since the 2020 summer of riots. It appears that the "Wawa Way" fueled by its core values (value people, delight customers, embrace change, do things right, do the right thing, and have a passion for winning) has, as Simon Sinek describes in his book Start with Why, surpassed the point where the "why" has been either sacrificed or forgotten as the company grew. I don't feel like a valued person, and I was much less than delighted with the actions of many Wawa store managers and their associates during the 2020 riots. Even corporate representatives monitoring their email correspondence showed very little care for how customers were feeling during those days, as evidenced by a response to an email that I sent about my concerns. Wawa stores, especially in Philadelphia, vilified law enforcement. Perhaps that was the "embrace change" core value? Things seemed to have diminished from there like dominoes.
As a small business owner with a location directly across the street from a Wawa, I'm using The Wawa Way as a cautionary tale and making sure that our "why" is solid and can pass the test of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2022
Several years ago, I moved out of state to an area with no Wawas, and I was one of those people that when returning for a visit went to Wawa to get coffee as my first stop off the highway and my last stop before leaving town. I have fond memories of growing up going to my hometown Wawa. It truly was the town center then, and it still is today.
The other reviews for this book highlight the fact that this book is a commercial for Wawa. Yes, that is true, but it is also a guideline for any business person to read and use in their company. Unfortunately, not many businesses have the long-term thinking to make it happen. This book explains why Wawa is so unique. My husband works at Wawa, and we hang out with many Wawa people on a regular basis. We know it's a great company, but it's easy to take it for granted. This book helped me remember what makes Wawa so special and reminded me to appreciate that.
The other reviews for this book highlight the fact that this book is a commercial for Wawa. Yes, that is true, but it is also a guideline for any business person to read and use in their company. Unfortunately, not many businesses have the long-term thinking to make it happen. This book explains why Wawa is so unique. My husband works at Wawa, and we hang out with many Wawa people on a regular basis. We know it's a great company, but it's easy to take it for granted. This book helped me remember what makes Wawa so special and reminded me to appreciate that.
March 7, 2016
The first third of the book feels like just a lot of corporate fluff and bragging. It made me quite skeptical and I almost stopped reading. However, the book quickly transitions to a wonderful story full of the faults and successes of Wawa. After reading this book, I have a greater appreciation for Wawa and the power of Employee Stock Option Programs (ESOPs).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews