Wawa & The Rooster Cook Up Meatballs With a Message

PHILADELPHIA — Wawa Inc. and Philadelphia's The Rooster, a diner-style Jewish deli, are teaming up to launch "Hoagies for Hope" to benefit the Broad Street Ministry, which provides meals and essential services to those experiencing homelessness and hunger in the City of Brotherly Love, with proceeds of up to $10,000.

The campaign highlights the Broad Street Meatball hoagie, a collaborative, one-of-a-kind recipe created by Wawa Chef Farley Kaiser, culinary manager on product development, and Michael Solomonov, chef and co-owner of The Rooster.

The Broad Street Meatball hoagie is made with a toasted Amoroso roll, provolone cheese, garlic aioli, cherry pepper relish, meatballs and parmesan cheese, served warm.

Throughout the month of April, customers can visit one of 15 Wawa stores located in Philadelphia's Center City or The Rooster itself, located at 1526 Sansom St., to purchase the new menu item. Kaiser and Solomonov are confident that the savory recipe will satisfy consumers' taste buds as well as their desire to help others, according to Wawa.

"We're delighted to combine quality food and a shared vision for fulfilling lives in our community with Chef Solomonov and Steve Cook [restaurateur and co-owner of The Rooster]," said Mike Sherlock, chief product marketing officer for Wawa. "Their innovative approach of helping the most vulnerable Philadelphians through donated profits from The Rooster is inspiring and we at Wawa feel privileged to contribute to their impactful mission."

The Rooster has a mission to prove that the interests of for-profit companies and philanthropic organizations can be united to achieve real social change, according to the restaurant. One hundred percent of The Rooster's profits go to Broad Street Ministry.

"I consistently call Wawa the gastronomic security blanket of Eastern Pennsylvania — and I stand by that! Wawa's meatball hoagies have been a solid staple of my diet since as far back as I can remember," Solomonov said. "But what truly stole my heart is their social advocacy programs through The Wawa Foundation. And this April 1, Steve and I are fired up for The Rooster to combine forces with Wawa in introducing the Broad Street Meatball Hoagie for the Hoagies for Hope campaign which goes towards supporting the essential human services Broad Street Ministry provides for their guests."

Pennsylvania-based Wawa operates more than 840 convenience stores, including 600-plus with gas, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.