The ritual of eating leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches has moved out of our homes and into our local Wawas, generating large fan bases along the way, writes Korsha Wilson for The New York Times.

The Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich is nothing new. In 1915, writer Frank B. Kahn recommended candy store owners add a “Thanksgiving Sandwich Special” of turkey meat, cranberry sauce and mayonnaise to their menus.

But Wawa’s Gobbler, a full Thanksgiving meal in a hoagie roll, may be the most popular version to date.

The sandwich is portable nostalgia, due to its inclusion of “a specific set of standard holiday foods,” said Barry W. Enderwick, creator of the Sandwiches of History TikTok and Instagram accounts, and cookbook.

“People are invested in what they’ve come to understand it to be and they go to bat for it,” Enderwick said.

Wawa introduced the Gobbler in 2005. Today it has a cult following, signaling to its fans that the holiday season has arrived.

The Delaware County chain sells more than 2 million Gobbler hoagies and bowls annually at its 1,050 locations, according to Lori Bruce, Wawa’s senior media relations manager.

Read more about the Gobbler’s success and the proliferation of Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches in The New York Times.