Richmond is on the front lines of the Sheetz-Wawa rivalry
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Two chains, one big rivalry. Photos: Jeff Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images and Nate Smallwood/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Richmond area is on the front lines of the great Sheetz vs. Wawa rivalry.
Why it matters: Richmonders have strong feelings about gas station food and, therefore, chains. New data shows just how fierce the competition is in our backyard.
State of play: The Pennsylvania-based convenience store giants have expanded their footprints across multiple states, but they share just 21 interstate exits, according to new data from road-trip app Pit Stop shared with Axios.
- Nearly half — 10 — are in Virginia, including eight along I-95 between Petersburg and Woodbridge, Pit Stop creator Jake Boyles tells Axios.
- And three of those shared exits are just south of Richmond, around Petersburg and Colonial Heights.
What they're saying: "The rivalry's real DMZ starts basically at Richmond's back door," says Boyles.
Zoom in: Wawa dominates Richmond, with stores off 24 local interstate exits where Sheetz is nowhere to be found. Sheetz has just eight exits without Wawa, per an Axios analysis of Pit Stop's data.
- Wawa also has roughly 50 locations in the broader Richmond region, about twice as many as Sheetz, per an Axios review of the chains' store finders.
- But head west on I-81, and the tables turn: Sheetz claims 20 Virginia exits to Wawa's one.
Flashback: Wawa opened its first Richmond-area locations in 2018, per the Times-Dispatch, while Sheetz has been here since at least 2003, per Henrico planning documents.
The rivalry doesn't stop at the interstate.
- Both chains have stores along West Broad, Iron Bridge and near the airport — sometimes directly across the street from each other.
The intrigue: Sheetz at least welcomes the rivalry.
- "Richmond is a special market where Sheetz and Wawa each have a strong presence, and we think a little friendly competition is a great thing for residents," Sheetz spokesperson Caroline Constantine tells Axios.
- Wawa didn't respond by press time.
Zoom out: Richmonders have been arguing about Sheetz vs. Wawa for years.
- RVA Mag published a full-on taste-test showdown in 2019 — and declared Sheetz the winner.
- And Axios Richmond got in the game in 2023 once Royal Farms entered the fray and former Axios Richmond reporter Ned Oliver declared Wawa his beloved.
Fun fact: Staunton is the only place in America where Sheetz and Wawa compete on two different interstate exits — I-64 and I-81, Boyles says.
The bottom line: Whether you're Team Sheetz or Team Wawa, there's probably a store nearby to defend your allegiance.
- If not, give it a minute. You'll get one. Or more likely, both.