Essy Romaine

Pennsylvania is split in half by two gas stations, and this February they finally met face to face. West side of the state, it's Sheetz. East side, around Philly, it's Wawa. People will argue about this at weddings. In Japan we had a battle like this in 1600. Sekigahara. East against West. It decided who ran the country for the next 260 years. So when I heard Sheetz was opening its first store in the Philly suburbs, right across the road from a Wawa, I had to be there. Limerick, Pennsylvania. February 12. Eight in the morning. Here's how the battle went. The Sheetz gave away free coffee. The Wawa across the street also gave away free coffee. A county commissioner gave a speech at the Sheetz grand opening wearing a Wawa hat. The very first guy in line told everybody he was a diehard Wawa fan. I didn't know which side to stand on. So I did what a samurai does when he owes loyalty to two houses. I got one coffee from each. And I drank them both, one in each hand, taking turns, so nobody would feel betrayed. Nobody asked what I was doing. A man in a Steelers jacket watched me for a while and nodded, like that was the correct way to handle it. "Smart. Sheetz for the made-to-order, Wawa for the hoagie. Don't let anybody tell you different." Then he lifted his cup at both buildings. "Here's the thing, buddy. In most states, gas station food is something you dare your friends to eat. Here we got two of 'em good enough to fight over."