In response to the new locations, Wawa and Taco Bell employees and Souderton students are commenting on the area’s latest retail additions.
The new Wawa features a gas station that creates both extra business as well as added stress for the employees who are gaining more customers inside.
According to Wawa employee Monica Abdelmassih, the gas station is very “convenient” for customers.
“I think people are a lot more happy that there is a closer gas station on Main Street. But that just means the store is busier which is more stress for us but it’s also good for sales,” Abdelmassih said.
As the old Wawa, also previously located on a different portion of Main Street in Harleysville, did not have a fueling area, having one at the new facility can allow for price competition.
Having the gas station “helps add to the amount of gas stations in the area to compare prices,” junior Maddie Stankus said, “and from what I’ve seen, the gas prices are relatively cheaper at the Wawa gas station than other gas stations in the area.”
As all equipment is brand-new, the environment of the Wawa is much more pristine than the previous location.
“The coffee pots are fresh and new and it helps not just for us to manage them easier but when we make the coffee customers are assured that we are freshly making the coffee,” Abdelmassih said. “ It’s also helpful because stuff was getting old and we needed new stuff anyways cause [the previous] Wawa had been open for so long.”
Customers have even picked up on the contemporary atmosphere.
“The new Wawa is fresh and clean,” Stankus said, “It’s nice and it’s very well kept.”
The new Taco Bell also sports a modern environment. “I think it’s nicer than other Taco Bells,” junior Ashley Caputo said. “It’s small but more modernized inside.”
For Kevin Hahn, working at the Taco Bell is an enjoyable experience.
“I like working there,” Hahn said.
As for food recommendations at the Taco Bell, Hahn suggests the “Potato Fiesta.”
Taco Bell also participates in a “happy hour” between 4 and 5pm “which is when drinks are half-off – including the frosties,” Hahn said.
The location of these fast food and convenience stores allow for those who may be traveling on the Turnpike to stop, rest and grab a bite to eat.
“People come off of the turnpike and they just go right in[to the Wawa],” Wawa employee Sage Williams said.
The location may also be more convenient to those who are not familiar with Harleysville.
“I think that it’s more convenient for people who are getting off the highway or people who don’t really know the area,” Abdelmassih said.
As the location is very new, products are not completely organized in the storage rooms.
Thus, whenever Wawa receives a delivery “we just put things in the back,” Abdelmassih said, as there is no dictated place for anything yet.
Even so, the benefits of the new locations exceed the stressors for the employees.
“I just think there’s more pros than cons,” Williams said.