NJ and PA Wawa fans, what’s this brick thing where you order hoagies?

I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about Wawa, but one thing has perplexed me lately.

As a lifelong resident of New Jersey, I've grown up with Wawa. You probably have, too.

I've been there since the days when you could buy a pound of cheese or a half-pound of ham after you told a human what you wanted on your hoagie.

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These days, I can speed-order a hoagie on the touchscreen as if it were an Olympic sport (hey Wawa, why don't you have a speed-ordering competition? Could you imagine the prestige one would have if they held the Guinness record for fastest Wawa hoagie ordering?).

As for Wawa coffee, not only can I make a cup exactly how I like it without having to taste test it half a dozen times, but I also know when all of the seasonal flavors come out and when the holiday cups start to appear.

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I am a self-proclaimed Wawa guru.

Until a few weeks ago, that is.

While waiting for my food one night, I was looking around and started wondering exactly what that brick-like thing was on the counter between the Wawa workers handing you your food and the public side of the store. Have you seen it?

I know, it's not very "brick-like" — I suppose it's more "log-like" but I didn't want to call it that.

Sometimes it's a corporate-looking device while other stores seem to put their spin on it and decorate it differently.

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I'm assuming it's a way of preventing people from reaching in and easily grabbing food that isn't theirs? But if that's the case, you can still do that because the opening in the plexiglass barrier is much bigger than "the Wawa brick."

And does that thing have a real name?

I am truly at a loss as to what real purpose this thing has, but every Wawa seems to have one. I've never seen a Wawa without a "log" standing between me and my hoagie.

So what, exactly, does it do? If you know, please drop a comment on our social media page because I honestly have no idea.