When students returned to campus for the 2025-26 school year, they were greeted with a brand-new Connelly Center equipped with a flagship Wawa location for them to enjoy. Over the summer, students held the Wawa in high regard, anxious to return to Lancaster Avenue so they could finally try it. However, controversy struck soon after once students realized they couldn’t use a “meal” to purchase items and watched as their points slowly disappeared. With the end of the semester, students are now more nostalgic than ever for the once-80s-themed Connelly Center filled with old Belle Aire favorites. However, this nostalgia does not overpower the benefits this new Wawa brings to campus.

Picture this: it is a Sunday night and you’ve spent hours in the library. You leave Falvey, check

the time and realize that it is 8:15 p.m. Some reading this article may be thinking, ‘So what?’ but

all Villanova students know that the three main dining halls close at exactly 8 p.m. every day. If it were a weekday, this timing would not be an issue, as Belle Aire would be readily serving food until around 11 p.m., but it’s Sunday and you’re out of options. But now with Wawa on campus, this is not an issue for students anymore.

Wawa’s late night hours give students access to more reliable options. When studying late at night, students do not have to DoorDash late night cravings anymore. They can instead walk to Wawa and satisfy these cravings there.

Additionally, last year the Connelly Center’s convenience store was located separately from Belle Aire and operated on separate hours, as well. What distinguishes the new Wawa is how it incorporates both the Belle Aire and convenience experience into four walls. Now, students don’t have to worry about late nights where they need to quickly grab something from the on-campus

convenience stores, just to find they have already closed, because the convenience section of Wawa stays open just as long as the dining portion.

The addition of Wawa to campus also signals a trend of improvement within the Villanova

community. Last year, students arrived for the Spring Semester to find a new sushi bar in Café Nova and impressive drink machines in Conn. Just a few months later, the entire Connelly Center was transformed over the summer.

Now, the Cabrini Campus is set to open in the Fall of 2026, and will offer a multitude of new dining and housing options for students. This should leave students thinking to themselves ‘What’s next?’ So, the next time someone feels frustrated that the Wawa doesn’t take meals or nostalgic for what Conn once was, remember how much has changed in little time with the goal of improving the Villanova student experience.

After the first semester of Wawa on campus, I can confidently say that it has brought great improvements to the Villanova community and shows a marked improvement for Villanova dining.