The true meaning of Wawa: The story behind the beloved Pennsylvania convenience store chain revealed

Have you ever wondered where the Wawa, the much-loved convenience store chain that originated in Pennsylvania, got its name?

In direct terms, the store's name comes from Wawa township, located in the far southeastern corner of Pennsylvania, a stone's throw from both the New Jersey and Delaware borders. 

It was there that the first Wawa sprung up, originally as a dairy processing plant in 1902.

But it wasn't until 1964 that the Wawa launched in its current format, as Wawa Food Market in Folsom, Pennsylvania.

Wawa is a much-loved convenience store with origins in Pennsylvania, and more than 1,000 locations between its home state and six others including New Jersey, Florida and Delaware

The township of Wawa is in the sparsely populated Pennsylvania borough of Chester Heights

The headquarters of Wawa remains in the Chester Heights locale

In the 1970s, the store began offering pre-made sandwiches, also rolling out the slogan, 'People on the Go – Go to Wawa Food Markets.'

The Wawa headquarters are still located nearby the original dairy plant, in the rural borough of Chester Heights, with a population of under 3,000. 

Digging more deeply, it turns out the word wawa was originally the Native American Ojibwe tribe's term for 'snow goose,' that is, the Canadian goose. 

In the language, it was pronounced we'we, according to an entry on The Ojibwe People's Dictionary.

In any case, the Wawa corporation has embraced the origins of their name. 

Richard D. Wood, who served as the CEO for more than 20 years, put forth a rationale to undergird the corporate culture. 

'Why do geese fly in a "V"? Because as each goose flaps its wings, it creates an updraft for the following bird. Working together, the flock increases its flying range by 71 per cent over a goose flying solo,' wrote Wood, according to an article on Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

'Teamwork, trust and encouragement are principles of our corporate culture and are what enable Wawa associates to accomplish feats that others may deem impossible,' the statement continued of the company mission's parallels to the behavior of the Canadian geese.

Historically, the name derives from the Native-American Ojibwe tribe's term for 'snow goose,' that is, the Canadian goose

In the Ojibwe language, the word for 'snow goose' is pronounced we'we

The convenience store pays homage to the origins of its name through its logo: a silhouette of a Canadian goose in flight

The company's logo continues to incorporate the silhouette of a flying Canadian goose to this day.

As the Wawa has expanded beyond Pennsylvania, it has grown a cult following among locals who live nearby any of its more than 1,000 locations - including in New Jersey, Florida, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. 

As an article by New Jersey journalist Carl Croft at local station WRAT put it: 'The way locals talked about the place, you'd think it was some sort of magical kingdom.'

He admitted he didn't really understand the phenomenon when he first moved to Jersey in 1996 - but quickly came around to the store's many branded offerings, listing his favorites in response to the talking point: 'What's your Wawa weakness?' 

'Just be relieved I finally know why people love Wawa,' he wrote, adding that Wawa coffee is his 'liquid gold.'