There’s Now an All-Digital Wawa in Philly

Wawa is trying out an all-digital store in University City. / Photograph by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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Wawa Testing a New Screens-Only Store at Drexel

The story of Wawa in and around Center City this year has been one of contraction, so when it looks like they’re trying something new and investing back in their city locations, it’s worth mentioning. The Philadelphia Business Journal reports that the Wawa at 3300 Market Street in University City recently reopened after a week-long redesign that replaces traditional shelves with virtual shopping through the Wawa mobile app or in-store kiosks.

No items appear on shelves; associates at the store fill the orders. Coffee will still be self-serve, which I admit was my first concern when reading about this new format. (My Wawa coffee order functions as an unhinged amalgamation of that day’s hopes, dreams and whims. My current fave is Blueberry Cobbler mixed with Dark Roast, in case you were wondering.)

Wawa’s new all-digital store in University City / Photograph courtesy of Wawa

The all-digital transformation of the Drexel campus location is currently in test mode, and while Wawa hopes it will lead to more efficiency, they don’t predict staffing cuts.

See You Later

Fluffy the alligator, obviously. / Photograph courtesy of Exeter Township Police Department

Meanwhile, in Exeter, a pet alligator named Fluffy went on a wild ride. She was discovered on Wednesday by some very surprised landscapers who captured her and called the police for backup. (Fluffy waited for the Animal Rescue League in a “a plastic tub in a repurposed jail cell.”) The owner came forward to reclaim the reptile, stating that Fluffy went missing during flash flooding caused by a severe storm. The pair has been reunited.

By the Numbers

6: Number of unindicted co-conspirators included in Donald Trump’s third criminal indictment — this time, for his efforts to remain in the White House despite losing the 2020 election. And “Co-Conspirator 4” is widely understood to be Northeast Philly native Jeffrey Clark. You may remember him as the guy who drafted a letter to swing-state legislatures saying there had been concerns of election fraud (when none existed), as well as the man Trump tried to install as acting attorney general when the rest of the DOJ refused to carry out the plans. Before all that, Clark grew up in Tacony and graduated from Father Judge in 1985. I assume he wasn’t voted “Most Likely to Undermine an Election,” but those yearbook superlatives can get real specific.

30.61: Miles that Rocky ran in the iconic training montage featured in Rocky II. Philly Mag did a magnificent breakdown back in 2013, which inspired the annual Rocky Run. But as Dan McQuade reported in Defector this week, there’s trouble in South Philly, as an influencer held a similar run without giving credit to the original event. They’re not even from here!

And from the Uck-Fay-Rea-Tay Sports Desk …

Two singles were the only hurts the Marlins put on starter Zack Wheeler in the initial two innings of last night’s Phils game. Unfortunately, our boys weren’t getting anything off Marlins pitcher Braxton Garrett either. It wasn’t until the fourth that they got cooking, with an Alec Bohm single, a Bryce Harper double, and singles by Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott that brought two runs home.

Huascar Brazoban came in to pitch the sixth and gave up walks to Stott and Trea Turner, hit Edmundo Sosa with a pitch to load the bases, then walked Garrett Stubbs to score Stott. Tough start. Steven Okert replaced him and struck out Rojas, popped up Kyle Schwarber after tossing three balls, then pitched a two-run double to Bohm: 5-0 Phils.

https://twitter.com/reseSZN/status/1686899087801569280

Miami promptly got on the board with a solo homer by Josh Bell and then another by Jazz Chisholm Jr. In the eighth, Matt Strahm gave up a Bell single, struck out Chisholm, then walked Avisail Garcia, so Jeff Hoffman came in. He walked Burger to load them, then walked Jésus Sánchez to force in a run: 5-3. Gulp. Jon Berti’s grounder brought in another — 5-4 — before Hoff got the final pop-up. Big gulp.

In the ninth, closer Andrew Nardi struck out Bryce, but Castellanos eked out a single. Stott’s grounder caught Nick at second, and Turner struck out. Against Gregory Soto with one out, Jorge Soler tied it with a homer. Free baseball time! With Turner starting on second, Brandon Marsh, pinch-hitting for Sosa, smacked a homer against David Robertson to lead off the 10th for a two-run Phils lead. Kimbrel moved Chisholm from second to third on a weird-ass balk that Ruben Amaro Jr. theorized was on purpose, to stop him from sending signals to the batter. “It’s an interesting game,” my darling husband said. A ground-out by Garcia scored him, to make it a one-run lead. Burger singled and Sánchez doubled, but a good throw by Marsh saved a run. Didn’t matter — a long fly-out by Berti scored the tie.

In the 11th, new Marlins reliever Jorge Lopez gave up a single to the hot-hot-hot Bohm that scored Rodolpho Castro, but Bohm was out on a Harper grounder, and Nick C. was, too, on a line drive. Stott lined one past the first baseman to put men on second and third, but we were outta luck — Turner grounded out. For the bottom half, Rob Thomson put Dylan Covey on the mound, with Stallings on second. A fly out, a ground out — and a ground ball that Turner just fucking missed that scored the tying run, at the four-hour mark.

The Phillies and Marlins with the lead pic.twitter.com/OgvCvYWOzX

— Blake Garman (@FrostedBlakes34) August 3, 2023

Turner, of all people, started on second for the Phils in the 12th, against pitcher Tanner Scott.

He has to go stand on 2nd like he earned it now

— Mark Magowan (@_magowan) August 3, 2023

Marsh and Stubbs struck out, and Rojas grounded out. In the bottom, Covey walked Garcia on purpose, hit Burger with a pitch, and gave up a Sánchez single. We lose, 9-8. What a marathon. What a blown lead. What a shame. Last game in the Fish series is this afternoon at — gulp — 12:10. Okay, I can take lunch then, I guess.

And in Doop News …

The Union face off against D.C. United at 8 p.m. tonight in the Leagues Cup Round of 32 on the U’s home field of Subaru Park.