It’s one of the greatest Pennsylvania debates: What’s better – Sheetz or Wawa?
Western Pennsylvania is Sheetz country, while our friends to the East prefer to get their gas and their above-average convenience store food (made-to-order hoagies, anyone?) at Wawa. While the rivalry has raged for decades, a Pittsburgh filmmaker has plans to release a documentary that will settle the matter once and for all.
The trailer for the film Sheetz Vs. Wawa: The Movie was released in February, and has already racked up more than 26,000 views. On the movie website, filmmaker Matthew Fridg writes of the two brands, “To some, the roadside gas station, also know as a convenience store, is a necessary evil as part of an enjoyable road trip. But for some people in the northeastern U.S., a convenience store is more than a stop, it’s a destination.”
Fridg spoke with the Philadelphia Inquirer about the project, and said that although he “has a Pittsburgh area code and grew up in Sheetz country, i.e., the western half of the state,” he can be unbiased.
“I’ve been exposed to both and while the Sheetz love is homegrown, I also like Wawa,” he told the paper.
Fridg also told the Inquirer that he’s heard from passionate fans on both sides, and he hopes to add those stories into the documentary, which will “include the history of the two chains, the culture of each business, and notable employees.” The film, he said, will also have “some sort of test” to determine which convenience store is better.”
“So we will go on a journey, we may do a coffee taste test, we may do a side-by-side hoagie test, or we just may end up having a big tug of war between Sheetz and Wawa employees,” he said “We want to make the movie fun and serious – but more fun than serious.”
On the movie website, fans can sign up to receive updates on the film, and share their Wawa and Sheetz stories.
The documentary is slated for release in 2019.
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