Wawa President Brian Schaller recently. (Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com)
Brian Schaller never imagined his accounting background would lead him to the top of one of America’s largest privately held companies, but the Bucks County native now serves as president of Wawa.
Schaller, who now lives in Delaware County, grew up near the Wawa store at York and Durham roads in Buckingham Township, and recently spoke with this news organization about his role leading one of the largest privately held companies in the country.
“I went to school for accounting, went to La Salle University. Local kid went into a firm for five, six years, and then found Wawa through their accounting department,” Schaller said.
That initial role in the accounting department was the beginning of a 23-year ascent that saw him move through various leadership roles, leading to his current position.
For Schaller, the career path was less about a ambition for the top job and more about finding a company that aligned with his values.
“It’s just a great culture that what we try to do is find people that the values match and they can be their best selves. And you put that together and it’s just a company with a great run,” he said.
Wawa has earned its status as a 41 percent associate-owned company that ranks as the 20th largest privately held company in the U.S. by revenue, according to Forbes, with $18.84 billion in revenue and nearly 1,150 locations.
Under Schaller’s leadership, Wawa is embarking on its most ambitious expansion in history as it doubles the number of states it operates in over the past 18 months to a total of 12.
The company is actively opening new stores, splitting its expansion between its core Mid-Atlantic market and new territories like Florida and the Midwest.
“It’s our most rapid growth in history,” Schaller explained. “But because we don’t franchise, it’s never been about being the biggest. It’s still the best, and we just see a lot of opportunity.”
Wawa is in direct competition with established regional chains like Sheetz in areas like western Virginia and Lancaster County where the two companies have historically overlapped.
Rather than viewing this as a fight-to-the-death rivialry, Schaller embraces the compeition.
With a broad smile on his face, he said there is a mutual respect between the two family-owned companies that goes back years.
“We’ve always competed with Sheetz,” he said. “We respect them immensely. They’re great operators, and both are great family companies. We’re quite similar more than we’re apart.”
Schaller believes healthy competition elevates the entire convenience store industry.
“I think both companies feel that we can raise the profile of the industry. Competition makes everybody better,” he said.
Despite Wawa’s growth and menu expansion, Schaller said the entire company is focused on the company’s connection to its longtime customers.
Online, some have expressed a longing for what they remember as better-quality hoagies from decades ago.
Schaller acknowledged the feedback while defending the company’s current food service approach.
“We take all the customer feedback and we can always get better,” he said. “When you’re serving as many customers as we are, there’s a happy balance between delivering what we’ve always done, growing and always making ourselves better.”
Schaller added that the company’s team is focused on creating a “world class food service offer that is fundamental in variety customization and always raising the quality of what we sell.”
Part of this evolution includes new concepts to improve customer convenience.
Wawa recently tested drive-thru service at four locations in Florida and the Mid-Atlantic region, including Falls Township, but decided against the concept after the tests.
“I don’t think the drive thru is going to be something we pursue because the customer kind of told us ‘I don’t want to be limited to a menu,’” Schaller explained.
Instead, the company plans to implement what he calls a “fly-through concept.”
The fly-through model will allow customers to order ahead using the full menu and then pick up their orders at a designated lane.
Schaller said the fly-through lanes tackle customer’s demand for speed and a larger selection.
“What we’re going to try is that you order ahead, you have the full menu, and then you come by the pickup lane and we’re ready for you,” Schaller said.
Schaller explained that connection to Bucks County remains strong, and he said that Wawa views the region as a key market for continued growth.
“We love Bucks County,” he said. “We want to serve Bucks County. Getting them stores, we’re working feverishly to get them open at places like this because we think there’s demand here that we need that we could serve and make a difference with customers.”
