Western Pennsylvanians expressed their excitement after New York-based grocery chain Wegmans announced its first foray into the area. The new store will be located in Cranberry Township, a significantly shorter drive than the current closest locations in Erie and State College.
So why all the fuss? What does Wegmans offer that will pack the 115,000-square-foot store when it opens? Here’s what locals are thinking.
Donuts!
TribLive’s own Lori Falce, a previous State College resident, waxed poetic about the bakery at Wegmans.
“They have the best donuts in the free world. It’s embarrassing to put a Dunkin’ donut next to a Wegmans donut. They’re big and yummy and they’re fresh because they’re making them in-house all the time,” she said.
Falce especially praised the chain’s peanut donut — a cake donut dipped fully in glaze and covered with peanuts.
Prepared foods
The grocery chain is famous for the abundance and quality of its prepared foods. As X user @addiecsmith posted, “Wegmans hot bar after watching a Penguins practice is going to be a new elite Pittsburgh combo,” referencing the proximity of the new store to the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.
TribLive’s television critic Rob Owen concurred, posting on Facebook, “I grew up going to Wegmans when visiting my grandparents each summer in Buffalo. Great prepared foods, if a little on the pricey side (then again, Giant Eagle is pricey; at least with Wegman’s there’s better quality).”
‘A great place to work’
Wegmans estimates that the new location will bring 400-500 jobs with it. According to folks on social media, those new employees have a good job to which they can look forward.
On a post about the news, Reddit user DeeKayEm412 said, “I lived outside of Rochester and worked at a Wegmans. It really was a great place to work.”
Excellent produce
Falce also said that the Wegmans in State College had a superior produce section.
“They’ve got really fresh and often unique produce, but they also make a point of working with local farmers for their produce and they will tell you where this produce came from,” she said.
She added, “It’s good for the local farmers because they’re going to have their name out there as a partner. And you know that this stuff is local, so if the environment is important to you, you know that you cut down on the carbon footprint.”
Wegmans hot bar after watching a Penguins practice is going to be a new elite Pittsburgh combo. https://t.co/mqnKWsnCHb
— addie clare (@AddieCSmith) January 14, 2025
‘It’s the little things’
Many transplants who have experienced Wegmans don’t have one particular item they’re looking forward to purchasing but are anticipating the general vibe of the store.
Facebook user Cyndy Schleihauf Patton, who stated that she was an ex-Erie resident, commented on Wegmans’ Facebook announcement of the new store, saying, “While I love my favorite Wegmans-only items, it’s the entire experience, the inviting look of the store, the welcoming, helpful and kind staff members that set Wegmans apart! My fellow Pittsburghers just don’t know what they have been missing!”
Reddit user myhouseisabanana said, “It’s the little things, too — umbrellas to borrow if it’s raining, the knowledge level of the employees, etc., plus anything you like at any grocery store … Wegmans probably did it first. I remember a sit-down sushi counter in the 90s … in Buffalo!”