The Subway/Wawa Smackdown
food, Stuff I don't hate July 17th, 2008
You’re all aware of my love affair with bacon, so it stands to reason that I eat my fair share of BLT sandwiches.
There are two places I get my fix. Subway and Wawa. Today we shall have a smackdown between the two sandwich giants.
There is one clear winner and it all boils down to the ordering process because the faster and easier I can get my grubby little hands on my BLT, the happier Kathy is and the less punishment the general public has to suffer for me being hungry and annoyed.
How to order at Subway:
Enter establishment and queue up to the start of the assembly line. Tell the sandwich prepper what sandwich you want, on what bread and with what condiments.
The prepper grabs your selected bread and EVEN THOUGH YOU JUST SAID WHAT YOU WANTED, proceeds to ask you at each condiment container what you want on the sandwich.
What kills me is the part where, even though I just said I want a BLT, the prepper asks me if I want LETTUCE and TOMATO on my Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich. It makes me want to cry. They do this every single time, without fail.
Yes, I would like lettuce and tomato on my Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich and if you ask me if I want bacon on that, I’ll have to give up on you and leave without my sandwich and that’s not good for the general public, remember?
Pickles? No. Cheese? No. Onions? No. Peppers? No. Olives? What? No! GROSS.
After finally making it to the end of the condiment station, my sandwich is ready and I wish I had gone to Wawa. Although Subway has the best bread, Wawa has the ordering process down to a science.
How to order at Wawa:
Enter establishment and walk up to a gloriously easy-to-use kiosk that beckons me to buy any number of happy-looking hoagies, sandwiches, wraps and subs.
I touch the screen to begin.
Welcome!
Oh, why thank you!
What kind of sandwich would you like?
I shall have a BLT.
On what kind of roll?
Hoagie, please.
Would you like that toasted?
Oh, yes, toast me, baby.
What size do you want? Shorti? 6″? 10″? Giant?
Let’s say 6″. By the way, I love you, pleasant-sounding beeping machine.
What condiments would you like on that? My selections are never-ending. Among them is mayonnaise and not just one button for mayonnaise.
There is a special button called “Extra Mayo” that should have a halo around it because it is a button made in heaven and blessed by God.
Why, yes. Yes, I would like extra mayo.
Almost finished. More bacon ($1.09 extra)?
Oh, sweet Jesus. Could it be? A button you press to get more bacon? What happens if I press it twice? Three times? Do I get a whole pig? Bring on the more!
Beep-boop-beep-boop-beep. My order is finished and out pops a receipt. And by the time I’ve paid for my delicious, bacon-packed BLT swimming in mayonnaise, the server hands it to me and I’m on my way.
The only possible improvement that Wawa could make to this process is if they incorporate the sandwich-ordering technology into the gas pumps outside. Yes, Wawa is also a gas station. Don’t knock it til you try it.
Everyone knows I’m an awesome product tester and so it makes sense that I know what I’m talking about in the sandwich-ordering, gas-pumping, time-saving department. What do you say, Wawa? Care to make a great system even better?
Also, could you install a debit card swiper so I can pay for my sandwich right at the deli to avoid annoying children standing at the register, screaming at their mothers that they want Bazooka bubble gum for dinner? Yeah, that’d be swell.
I’d like a BLT with a side of humor blog.
Stumble it!
July 25th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
I agree 11 billion percent. Subway SUCKS. You always get this bitter, robotic idiots who NEVER listen.
At Wawa, you can play with the machine, order whatever disgusting combination you want…and no one will ever know.
Chris’s last blog post..New Rusty Nail Supreme Pizza!
July 25th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I had to hear Phil do your blog. I think the Woman is much nicer. What are you going to name her? Kathiebot? LOL!
Chris (Casey)’s last blog post..The First Butterfly of the Summer at our House
July 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
JD at I Do Things — And an awesome 100th comment to boot! You should win a prize, but I think I’ve thrust all my junk drawer merchandise on you already. How ’bout a standing ovation? (claps uproariously) Did you hear it!?
Chris — I watched a guy ahead of me the last time I was at Wawa punch through the display at lightning speed. And he pressed a LOT of buttons. I don’t know what he ordered, but I suspect he needed Tums afterward. I tipped my hat to him. He was the professional I hope to become some day.
Chris (Casey) — Yes, the woman sounds clear and pleasant. But I’m seriously missing Phil. I don’t know what to call her, but Kathybot has a nice ring to it.
July 26th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I heard it! I still want a magnet, tho!
JD at I Do Things’s last blog post..I Am Fat (and Disgusted) so you don’t have to be
July 27th, 2008 at 8:07 am
JD at I Do Things — I’ll pop one in the mail tomorrow. You can never have enough Junk Drawer magnets. It’s a good thing!
July 27th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I’ve never ordered sandwiches from WaWa, but I’ve ordered coffee at the kiosk DURING THE MORNING RUSH! It was my first time doing it, and boy was I scared and nervous. The people around me were all expert in assembling their coffee…first grab the appropriate sized cup with the matching lid..eeek…then find the coffee flavor you want..OMG, where’s the plain freakin pot!…then as you’re hurriedly pouring hot liquid into a cup, eyes feverishly scanning for the cream…oh, geez, full fat milk, 2% milk, 1% milk, skim milk, half and half, fatfree half and half, for the love of God, help me sweet Jesus..then it’s on to the sweeteners…white sugar, pink sugar, blue sugar, yellow sugar…I’m starting to sweat behind my knees, all I need is the stirrer, now, it’s almost over. Oh, look, little sleeves to wrap around the cup…which way does it go on!!!!???? Crap, time to check out. Keep moving, don’t talk, have the exact change ready, act like you’ve done this a hundred times. Whew, I did it. Made it to the car without getting any dirty looks. If I had known it was going to be such a stressful event, I would have practiced at an off peak time.
July 28th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
ann of the shampoo bag — This is hysterical! Will you start your own blog already or do I have to beat you? (Don’t worry, folks. She’s my sister. I’m entitled.) I will never, ever try to get coffee at a Wawa. Twenty pots brewing before me are far too many to sort through and look like a fool doing it. Kudos to you for making it to the finish line!
July 29th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Ordering sandwiches can be extremely annoying when you have to repeat yourself multiple times before they get your order right.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Bath and Body — I’d almost rather write it down and hand it to the sandwich prepper. They can read it as many times as necessary, as long as I don’t have to speak!
August 1st, 2008 at 10:40 am
You know Kathy, they have a similar system in Au Bon Pain (cafe chain here in Boston). You mark off the type of bread and what you want on the sandwich, write in your name and give it to the sandwich bar. No confusions. It’s amazing! I wish all places did that.
January 17th, 2009 at 12:21 am
I’m glad everyone loves the quiet, personal experience of ordering a sandwich from wawa… unlike subways where they stare at you like you’re crazy when you order… unfortunately.. i have to inform you that as the maker of those wawa sandwiched you all know and love, i still stare at you, make fun of you, and come up w/ lots of creative nicknames for the fat man who orders extra mayo and bacon… and then smile after spitting on your sandwich and wrap it up nice and neat while your on the other side of the store paying for it completely oblivious to what’s going on around you. Thanks you again valued guest, and have a great day
March 10th, 2009 at 2:22 am
Ahhh.. finally someone who appreciates Wawa as much as I do… worked there for 8 yrs and Wawa has helped pay my way through college. And Wawa is so great that after I graduated college and became a social worker.. I went back to work on the weekends because I missed the customers so much..here’s a hint, just because you order from the “touch screen” doesn’t mean we won’t talk to you as we make your hoagie and if you’d rather not talk to us (like you Kathy) then that’s fine too.. we don’t discriminate! And as for Brian… majority of us don’t spit in your hoagie.. that’s gross. But we ARE watching you, its like having your own lil reality show everytime you work 🙂
March 14th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Bath and Body — I’m all about less confusion. And I’d think the people who make the sandwiches would appreciate not having to keep asking what customers want on their items.
Brian — Well, I’m guessing they can’t spit on your stuff out in the open — God, I hope not — but I wouldn’t doubt they make fun of me for hitting that “extra mayo” button over and over.
Nichole — Another Wawa fan! Oh, and I know they’re at least thinking “What’s up with her and the bacon. Geez, woman. Give it a rest.” I used to work in fast food. Talk about a reality show. Thanks for dropping by on an older post.
September 14th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
I believe you’ve hit upon an important universal truth here: Every important piece of technology requires a “more bacon” button.
I propose we call this the Wawa maxim.
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September 14th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Mike B. Fisher – Absolutely. String Theory is the theory of everything? I think not. It’s bacon, plain and simple.
April 19th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Just wanted to say great blog, its very entertaining! John
April 25th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
I hadn’t seen this one before. I was in hysterics with the extra bacon button. I wish we had a WaWa. All we have is Subways and sadly they are the same here as they are there. If I say I want the works that means everything. If I say I only want pickles that really means I only want pickles. I get the same kind of anxiety ordering from Subway as I do ordering a coffee from Starbucks. It shouldn’t be so difficult.
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April 25th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
LOL! Thanks, Jen, for tweeting this one. What the hell’s a WaWa? Clearly, I’m being deprived here in California.
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