by George Wade

How many different versions of the same chicken sandwich can you imagine? How about how many different sandwiches within a 7.5 mile radius?

Within 7.5 miles of Arcadia university, you can find so many different variations of the same fried chicken sandwich. There’s Asad’s hot chicken, Wawa, the Chat at Arcadia University, and so many more, all easily accessible by car or through septa. But what makes each one unique? What about the story or taste of the food sets them apart? I set out to find these answers for myself, by traveling to each of these places to see what made them each unique, not just in food, but in environment, crowd, and more. Asad’s started in the parking lot of a gas station and decided to master their own style of Nashville Hot chicken, Wawa has grown into a massive northeast chain where you can find one for every few miles you go in Philly, and the Chat has its own special place in the hearts of Arcadia students everywhere. The first place I went to check their chicken out was Asad’s, the Instagram sensation, averaging 20,000+ views per video, known for their levels of spice.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwCWvhr (40.8k views)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwgJ-iHBM1F/?igsh=bjM2M2Vpd2xydzhk (3.1 million views)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5_qYlIr-jf/?igsh=ZDB2bjZwdmllMXls (645k views, first drive-thru location)

Asad’s Hot Chicken first opened in the parking lot of Philly Gas at 7300 Roosevelt Blvd. on July 15th, 2022. Since then, it has expanded to 3 more locations, one recently opening this weekend at 16 S. 40th Street. This grand opening, where Asad’s was promising free chicken and giving away 10 $200 gift cards was met with 500-600 people crowding 40th street in attendance. As the free chicken was given out, a fight broke out amongst the crowd causing the police to shut down the grand opening not long after it started at 3 p.m. So what about Asad’s is so good that its enough to fight over? I went to their shop in Bensalem to figure it out. The shop itself was covered in Asad’s themed graffiti, and seemed very rushed together, but the food was great regardless. I got 2 sliders and fries for $13.99, each slider comes with a tender, coleslaw, pickles, and Asad’s sauce. The fries were seasoned, the food was great, and as Sebastian C. writes on Yelp, “Worth the hype.” What exactly makes Asad’s unique? Well, apart from the viral social media campaigns and massive store openings, the sauce, the flavor, and the spice are all Asad’s own unique recipe. The story of starting in a gas station parking lot and within 2 years having 7 locations with a new one opening every few weeks is what makes Asad’s have such a compelling reason to keep coming back and support Asad himself. It’s an interestingly similar story to another Philly/PA classic storefront, Wawa. 

Wawa is a classic Philly establishment that started all the way back in 1902 as a dairy market. In the 1960s Wawa opened their first food market in Folsom, PA serving burgers and fried chicken. Recently, Wawa has been expanding their food selections into Pizza, panini’s, ciabattas and more. Of course, when talking about an up and coming Philly chicken shop, I had to compare it with a philly classic location, one that’s been serving chicken for over 60 years. I ordered and got my sandwich just as fast as you would anything else at a Wawa, and for the price, it was an okay sandwich. What wawa is really built for is variety and speed, as we all know. They sell anything from a hoagie to a tex-mex rice bowl, and all of it is at least decent. What makes wawa so unique compared to Asad’s is the level of customization allowed for the sandwich. With Wawa, you can pop in, get any chicken sandwich you could imagine with almost any topics, and leave just as fast. 

The last place I decided to stop is one right on Arcadia University’s campus, the Chat. While this place is very similar to a Wawa but on campus for Arcadia students, it is definitely known for it’s chicken sandwiches the most. The Chat seems to be the middle ground of Asad’s and Wawa, as nothing here is pre-made besides toppings, each piece of chicken is freshly made to order, and you’re able to customize it in the same ways as Wawa.  One thing to note is the Chat also includes fries with your order, something Wawa does not. What really sets the chat apart from both, however, is the Chat is made to sit and eat. Wawa is made to be fast grab and go food, and Asad’s didn’t have a sit down location until they opened their seventh store. The Chat is more than grab and go food for Arcadia students, it’s the place students go to hang out between classes, after practices or before they head out to go to games. While the food isn’t that unique, beyond you customizing whatever you want to eat, it’s a lot more than just food. 

While Wawa moves to become a national brand and the Chat owns the hearts of many Arcadia students, I dont think either are going to beat Asad’s in chicken sandwiches. Asad’s is growing fast, and it’s clear to see why, with great food and great flavor, a well-working social media campaign, they’ve got the brand all figured out. At the end of the day, however, Wawa still wins convenience, and the Chat wins for being more of a social hangout space on top of a place to grab a bite on campus. They each have their own reasons making them unique, and it boils down to a lot more than just the chicken sandwich.