PASSHE Institutions Merging

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Villanova University now has its own Wawa on campus.

The new store, which opened inside the Connelly Center, Villanova University’s main student union, last semester, is another example of how Wawa keeps experimenting with new store concepts, from college campuses to dense urban locations, while sticking to the menu people expect.

The Villanova location accepts cash, credit, Points, and Nova Bucks, giving students easy access to hoagies, coffee, and snacks without leaving campus.

A lot of chains don't do real well, financially, opening on campuses. You'd think they would but there's a lot of dead time (about 4.5 months of the year). That's real hard to offset.

Neat concept for sure.

[TheBigCat2192]

A lot of chains don't do real well, financially, opening on campuses. You'd think they would but there's a lot of dead time (about 4.5 months of the year). That's real hard to offset.

Neat concept for sure.

Presumably it’s just a franchise license granted to whoever does Nova’s main dining contract (Aramark or the like), so the money is likely somewhat less of a concern than it would be for a regular franchisee. Our schools have been doing this for ages with different fast or fast casual joints; Bloomsburg alone has a Subway, Starbucks, Qdoba, Dunkin’, and a Chick-Fil-A. I’d expect the quality difference when compared to a “regular” location to be about the same as it is at one of those.

[iupgroundhog]

Presumably it’s just a franchise license granted to whoever does Nova’s main dining contract (Aramark or the like), so the money is likely somewhat less of a concern than it would be for a regular franchisee. Our schools have been doing this for ages with different fast or fast casual joints; Bloomsburg alone has a Subway, Starbucks, Qdoba, Dunkin’, and a Chick-Fil-A. I’d expect the quality difference when compared to a “regular” location to be about the same as it is at one of those.

Yeah, I don't see where this is a novel concept. Chains have been on college campuses for a long time.

As far as the profitability of that location, Nova campus is pretty dead over the summer and during breaks (everybody leaves) but they could close it down during those periods and shift employees to other nearby locations without batting an eye. Villanova is a lot more residential than it used to be with their new dorms. Back when I lived in that particular area students were more dispersed throughout the outlying communities, but I would think they are more concentrated on campus now, and Villanova students in general have little regard for how much money they spend. It should be a popular venue.

The other thing pertaining to branding is that Villanova students and their parents hail from all over the map so they will take that allegiance to the Wawa brand with them. That's a plus for Wawa, considering these convenience store chains seem to all be looking for expansion opportunities.

[IUPNation]

I just thought it was interesting Wawa went along with putting one on a campus while Sheetz closed one right on the doorstep of IUP.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I just thought it was interesting Wawa went along with putting one on a campus while Sheetz closed one right on the doorstep of IUP.

Sheetz wasn't making any money at that location. The kids are only here in force 8 months and the locals avoided it like the plague.

It was really that simple.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Yeah, I don't see where this is a novel concept. Chains have been on college campuses for a long time.

As far as the profitability of that location, Nova campus is pretty dead over the summer and during breaks (everybody leaves) but they could close it down during those periods and shift employees to other nearby locations without batting an eye. Villanova is a lot more residential than it used to be with their new dorms. Back when I lived in that particular area students were more dispersed throughout the outlying communities, but I would think they are more concentrated on campus now, and Villanova students in general have little regard for how much money they spend. It should be a popular venue.

The other thing pertaining to branding is that Villanova students and their parents hail from all over the map so they will take that allegiance to the Wawa brand with them. That's a plus for Wawa, considering these convenience store chains seem to all be looking for expansion opportunities.

Food chains, yes, come and go frequently. They change constantly because most don't make any money and pull out. Obviously it's very difficult for most to survive the dead periods.

A full-blown convenience store (by a major brand) on campus is a fairly new concept. I'm talking 'on' campus, not nearby.

[iupgroundhog]

Food chains, yes, come and go frequently. They change constantly because most don't make any money and pull out. Obviously it's very difficult for most to survive the dead periods.

A full-blown convenience store (by a major brand) on campus is a fairly new concept. I'm talking 'on' campus, not nearby.

I think it would be almost entirely a food (and coffee) outlet. One thing that is different for Wawa is that there won't be gas pumps. Virtually all of Wawa's new locations have gas pumps, which helps their profitability. The gas-less locations they have opened up in the city haven't succeeded. Nation can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I think it would be almost entirely a food (and coffee) outlet. One thing that is different for Wawa is that there won't be gas pumps. Virtually all of Wawa's new locations have gas pumps, which helps their profitability. The gas-less locations they have opened up in the city haven't succeeded. Nation can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

The one they tried near IUP (Sheetz) was gasless but it did sell beer and wine.

The other Sheetz near IUP are full-on madhouses about 18 hours per day.

I had heard Sheetz found the gasless location to also be a major headache with all the drunks and thefts. In the end the mighty dollar (lack thereof) made them pull out.

Oddly the location is still vacant years later. It has major parking flaws which also didn't help.

[TheBigCat2192]

Food chains, yes, come and go frequently. They change constantly because most don't make any money and pull out. Obviously it's very difficult for most to survive the dead periods.

A full-blown convenience store (by a major brand) on campus is a fairly new concept. I'm talking 'on' campus, not nearby.

Eh. BU doesn’t have a full-blown convenience store on campus, but the Husky Lounge at the Kehr Union has some overlap with similar products like grab & go meals, grab & go salads, bottled soda/sports drinks, and snacks (chips/Slim Jims/sweets). It’s cool for Nova students that they’ll be able to get all the fancy coffees and stuff though.

[Fightingscot82]

Sheetz also tried a gasless location in downtown Morgantown. It too failed.

I could see it working in a place like downtown Pittsburgh or Oakland (Pittsburgh). There's enough foot traffic and the current options (7-11) are as bad as you could imagine.

[TheBigCat2192]

Sheetz also tried a gasless location in downtown Morgantown. It too failed.

I could see it working in a place like downtown Pittsburgh or Oakland (Pittsburgh). There's enough foot traffic and the current options (7-11) are as bad as you could imagine.

Wawa has a few gasless stations in Delaware and I believe one in PA on U.S. 202 (it might be just on the DE side, not 100% sure.) In my experience, they’re all much shoddier than any of the locations that have gas pumps.

[IUPNation]

I think it would be almost entirely a food (and coffee) outlet. One thing that is different for Wawa is that there won't be gas pumps. Virtually all of Wawa's new locations have gas pumps, which helps their profitability. The gas-less locations they have opened up in the city haven't succeeded. Nation can correct me if I'm wrong on that.

The center City ones closed because there are less workers during day due to WFH..and thry catered to the daytime workforce before Covid. Center City residents don’t go to Wawa. It was just an easier narrative for Wawa to use “crime” as an excuse they had too many stores nobody was going into..,,

[Bart]

Sheetz also tried a gasless location in downtown Morgantown. It too failed.

I could see it working in a place like downtown Pittsburgh or Oakland (Pittsburgh). There's enough foot traffic and the current options (7-11) are as bad as you could imagine.

There also was a Wawa on Drexel's campus but it closed.

[Ship69]

Eh. BU doesn’t have a full-blown convenience store on campus, but the Husky Lounge at the Kehr Union has some overlap with similar products like grab & go meals, grab & go salads, bottled soda/sports drinks, and snacks (chips/Slim Jims/sweets). It’s cool for Nova students that they’ll be able to get all the fancy coffees and stuff though.

Ship has a sort of junior convenience store called Big Red's Cupboard in the Ceddia Union Building where students can grab some snacks and drinks. There are also a Dunkin' and a Chick-Fil-A in the CUB. There is a Starbucks in the library.

[nodnol]

Wawa has a few gasless stations in Delaware and I believe one in PA on U.S. 202 (it might be just on the DE side, not 100% sure.) In my experience, they’re all much shoddier than any of the locations that have gas pumps.

There is also a newer Wawa in Abington that's gasless - it replaced a much older, smaller one that I went to a lot back in the 80s. But then there are a couple bigger ones within a couple of miles that have gas so I'm not sure how much traffic the gasless one gets.