Consumers have crowned Wawa the nation's No. 1 convenience store chain

Wawa's hoagies can't be beat.

The popular Philadelphia chain topped the American Consumer Satisfaction Index's first ever convenience store study, which ranked Americans' favorite spots to refill their gas tanks and their stomachs. 

The surveys were conducted over a seven month period ending in Sept. 2024, with chains scored from zero to 100 on categories including convenience of store hours and locations, coffee freshness, food quality, wait times and speed of checkout.

The most popular convenience stores, the study found, are the ones that have focused on making food — and making it well — as consumers focus more on the in-store experience when deciding where to fill up. 

"You see it with most of the big national and regional chains," Forrest Morgeson, director of research emeritus at the ACSI, tells CNBC Make It. "They're saying 'We're going to have really attractive food offerings. Not just a preheated breakfast sandwich, but food that will draw people in.'"

Wawa's expansive menu features more than just hot sandwiches, pizza and quesadillas. There is also a full breakfast menu as well as smoothies, shakes, baked goods and fresh fruit.

No. 2 ranked chain QuikTrip, meanwhile, features tacos, BBQ sandwiches and wraps among its wide-ranging offerings.

These are the ACSI's top scoring convenience store chains: 

1. Wawa (82 points)
2. QuikTrip (81 points)
3. Buc-ee's (80 points)
4. Murphy USA (80 points)
5. Casey's General Stores (79 points)
6. Sheetz (79 points)
7. Kwik Trip (78 points)
8. BP (77 points)
9. Cumberland Farms (77 points)
10. Speedway (77 points)

The chains that scored the best also have something else in common: robust loyalty programs. That's because stores that offer memberships have customers who are "more satisfied, perceive higher value, visit more frequently, and are more likely recommend the store to others compared to nonmembers," according to the report. 

Wawa, for instance, gives its members 10 points per dollar spent in-store. These can be spent on rewards like discounted fuel or free coffee, sandwiches and pastries.

"Loyalty programs are are a real differentiator," Morgeson says. "They give you substantial benefits for being a frequent visitor to their store." 

As these chains continue to compete for market share, expect future visits to the gas station to continue to improve.

"The companies that are ultimately going to succeed are the ones that offer the most satisfying experience to consumers," he says. "The ones that keep consumers coming in and even going out of their way to visit those locations."