Calling Wawa just another convenience store is like calling a hamburger “humane”—you just don’t do it, because it isn’t true.
Wawa stores may only exist in six states along the East Coast, but that didn’t stop it from winning the title of “America’s Favorite Sandwich Shop” in 2018.
I know what you’re thinking: Wawa, whether it’s a deli, a convenience store, or the epitome of Northeastern culture, doesn’t sound like a vegan haven. What does it have to offer its vegan patrons? Quite a lot, actually.
In 2020, Wawa created a plant-based section of its menu, which is home to items featuring Beyond Meat’s breakfast sausage and several vegan beverages.
Plant-Based Options Featuring Beyond Meat on the Deli Menu
The Beyond Sausage Sizzli and hoagie sandwich can be made vegan with just a few taps on the deli’s touchscreen.
- The Beyond Sausage Sizzli (Tap “No Eggs,” and then pile on the toppings—roasted veggies, spinach, tomatoes, hot peppers, roasted red peppers, and your choice of vegan sauce—the cherry pepper relish, chunky marinara, and barbeque sauce are all vegan.
- The Beyond Sausage Hoagie (Select “No Eggs,” and add your choice of toppings like lettuce, tomato, spinach, roasted veggies, peppers, and sauce.)
- Banana Graham Smoothie
- Strawberry Banana Oat Milk Smoothie
- Frozen Banana Cold Brew
- Oat Milk and Cookies Smoothie
While it would be great if everything at Wawa were vegan, many other foods and drinks on the regular menu are vegan or can easily be made so with a few tweaks.
Beverages
Almost all the beverages available on the touchscreen menu (except for the chai latte, frozen cream smoothies, Flurricanes, and hot chocolate) are already vegan or can be made so with just a tap of a button. When a milk choice is offered, just be sure to choose almond, soy, or oat milk to make your beverage animal-friendly. The best part? There’s no surcharge for almond and soy milk, both at the serve-yourself coffee bar and on orders via the touchscreen.
Unfortunately, there is still an additional charge of 25 cents for oat milk. While Wawa offers a more affordable surcharge than Starbucks’ 80-cent fee for vegan milk, no one should be charged extra for choosing not to exploit mother cows for their morning cup of joe. Cows used in the dairy industry are forcibly impregnated, separated from their babies after just a few days, and then milked to the breaking point. Once their bodies can no longer keep up, they are slaughtered. A cow’s natural life expectancy is about 20 years, but most cows used for dairy are killed when they’re only about 5 years old.
Vegan as Is
- Pre-brewed coffee at the coffee bar
- Tea at the coffee bar
- Americano
- Colado
- Cortadito
- Troubador
- Espresso
- Refreshers (Berry Dragon Fruit, Berry Passion Fruit, Mango Dragon Fruit, and Strawberry)
- Frozen Lemonade
Vegan With Almond, Soy, or Oat Milk Specified
- Matcha drinks
- Cappuccinos
- Lattes (The caramel sauce and pumpkin sauce use cow’s milk, so ask if you can substitute either sauce for the salted caramel syrup in drinks such as the pumpkin, maple, and caramel lattes.)
- Earl Grey Tea Latte
- Fruit smoothies, including the Blueberry Pomegranate Mango Smoothie, the Mixed Berry Smoothie, and many other fruit combinations (Avoid those with “Freeze” in the title, as the mixture is made with cow’s milk.)
Breakfast
- Bagels (Order the bagel at the deli, and then add peanut butter or almond butter, which are both sold in single-serve packages.)
- Fruit cups
- Hash browns (sold at the register)
- Cinnamon sugar oatmeal
Lunch
Wawa is famous for its hoagies and its annual Hoagiefest, when each hoagie is just $4.99. And if sandwiches aren’t your thing, the chain also offers pitas, burritos, burrito bowls, and salads.
- Roasted Veggie Hoagie (Swap the mayo for the avocado spread, and go with the plain roll instead of the whole wheat, which contains honey.)
- Burritos and burrito bowls (Just skip the cheese and sour cream—the rice and bean filling and the roasted veggies are already vegan.)
- Garden Pita (Just substitute the ranch dressing for the balsamic vinaigrette. )
- Spicy Veggie & Beyond Meatball Salad
- Garden Salad
Dinner
The dinner menu is a new addition to Wawa, and while the lunch menu is still available all night long, Wawa’s dinner options are fantastic if you’re craving some cheap, hot comfort food.
- Baked Penne with Marinara
- Roasted veggies, broccoli, and pasta
Sides, Snacks, and Takeout Options
- Apple Peanut Butter Dipper
- Beyond Meatballs and Marinara
- Black beans
- Carrots & Celery Peanut Butter Dipper
- Carrot Snack Pack
- Fruit cups
- Hummus and pita rounds
- Rice
- Soft Pretzel (Plain and Everything varieties)
Sometimes you just “gottahava” snack from Wawa, and thankfully, there are loads of vegan options to choose from. As consumers, we show businesses exactly where we’re willing to put our money, so every time you order vegan, you’re helping to save animals and you’re making healthier choices for yourself. You can eat vegan at loads of other fast-food restaurants and can help encourage your friends to go vegan with a vegan starter kit.
