The Costco Food court is the most inexpensive and convenient place to grab some grub after
shopping, after all their tagline is” Simplifying Home and Life”. It not only manages to bring
you cheap food but it still turns a profit. Here are 10 Costco Food Court Secrets that
only employees know about.
Costco makes its own Hot Dogs
They say that the Costco food court is not a goldmine. It only turns a small profit annually
from the sales of food items because there has been relatively no price increase in the
past 30 years. Since their debut in 1985, Costco has been selling their hot dog and
soda combo for $1.50 and the pizza combo for only $1.99. Meanwhile, hot dogs are 10% bigger
and the sodas have also increased in size, with free refills to boot. A fantastic deal,
you could say! No one offers you something like that these days. How do they do it? Aside
from Costco selling over 100 million hot dogs a year, which is four times more than what
is sold at any ballpark in a season, the low price is one of the reasons it’s so popular
and Costco banks on this fact. Did you know that the chain does everything in their power
to keep the prices down? In 2013, they switched to selling Pepsi products after Coca-Cola
increased their prices, and in 2009, they switched from Hebrew National to making their
own Kirkland Signature Brand hot dogs in order to avoid raising prices as well. Employees
beg to differ when it comes to saying Costco does not make a profit, however small, with
128 million hot dogs sold each year, it equals a whopping $192 million dollars in revenue.
Plus all those happy shoppers are roaming around the store after a cheap lunch and buying
plenty of other things that the company will make money on.
Largest Pizza Chain
Costco is known for many great things, but one would never guess that it is also known
for being a top pizza chain. With about 400 locations situated in the U.S. alone, and
only a few of those actually selling pizza, it is ranked the 14th largest pizza chain
in America. It is also one of the cheapest among all the pizza other chains, at a cost of $1.99
per slice or a full pizza for $9.99. It’s been reported that Costco compared to Pizza
Hut or Domino's, has some pretty impressive statistics for a warehouse store. They may
lack in option and variations, but Costco food court pizzas are available in three of
the most popular options. Plain pizza which comes topped with 1 lb. of mixed mozzarella
and parmesan cheeses, pepperoni, and a combination topped with vegetables. You have the option
of purchasing a slice or a whole pizza which measures 16 inches in diameter. The pizzas
are great for the price point value, they claim to be perfectly cooked, with loads of
cheese and a crispy crust. Costco works hard to make sure their pizza is practically perfect
every time.
Order Ahead / Take-out
Here are a few more secrets and tips that you may not know about when ordering Pizza
at the Costco food court. As one of the largest Pizza chains, they also have some of the same
services as other pizza franchises. Did you know you can call in your order ahead of time?
You can't order online as of yet, but you can pick up at the food court whether or not
you're shopping there. Costco prefers the latter, as the food court is a perk for those
with memberships, but they will allow non-members too. But please don’t call during peak times.
Unfortunately, the drawback is that they don’t deliver, so you will have to get up off the
couch and go pick it up yourself. Let’s hope the nearest Costco is not miles away.
It may not be the perfect scenario for some, but it’s great if you are nearby or often
shop at Costco. It’s probably cheaper than other local pizza joints, unless they are
having a two for one deal. if your choice is to eat in the food court and you don’t
finish your pizza, you can always ask for a take-out box and bring the rest home for
later. A little bite of weird trivia, do you know exactly how many pepperoni slices are
on top of a pepperoni pizza at Costco? According to the Costco Connection, all pepperoni pizza
pies are topped with 60 slices of "US-made" pepperoni not one more or less, even if you
ask for it.
Magical Mystery Robot
There’s a method to Costco madness, when it comes to making pizza. Ever wonder why
the pizzas at Costco are always on point with the sauce-to-cheese ratio? It’s because
they’ve got the pizza-making down to a science with a little help from a pizza robot that
ensure their pizzas are perfect every time. The hypnotic pizza robot evenly distributes
a delicious layer of sauce onto every pizza. The pizza robot is actually mesmerizing to
watch, it’ll will put you in such a trance that it will make you crave a slice within
minutes. First, they make sure that the dough has completely risen, then they press it into
perfectly even shaped pies. After that they add the sauce, your favorite toppings, and
freshly grated cheese, they are baked in a 600 degree oven which cooks the pizzas evenly
in just 6 minutes. That makes a whole lot of pies! Pizza that isn’t sold within an
hour gets replaced with another fresh one straight out the oven. Costco has streamlined
their pizza process to make it as efficient and cost effective as possible and they never
skimp on ingredients. Everything is measured to a standard and you will have a perfectly
delicious pizza every time.
Pay n Go
Every one loves the Food court, especially because the food is so cheap and you don’t
want to miss out on another deal. But you can see that the line-ups are long and there
are a couple of empty tables left at the food court. You are tired and don’t feel like
standing in line waiting for food. What do you do! Going home and cooking is not an option,
it’s late, you’re tired and plus you have those groceries to unpack when you get home.
Think Strategically! The easiest way to skip the line at the food court, is to add it to
your tab while at the cash register upon checking out? Just politely ask the cashier, then go
to the express line at the food court, show your receipt, and your meal will be ready
in seconds. Of course, you have to be purchasing items from the store for this hack to work,
but there is always something you will need from Costco. Another way to avoid the line
ups is using the digital kiosks to complete your order. If you have these machines in
your local food court, you just tap in what you want, pay with a card, and head to the
pick-up window.
Food is Fresher with Line-ups
You won't have to wait around too long to get your food at the Costco food court, it
is fast food after all. The line ups are a different story and can be incredible long
at times, as well as quite discouraging, especially during peak shopping hours. One of the best
things about the line ups, is you know the food is flying off the shelves quickly. Therefore
your food will be freshly made. So don’t walk out the door before getting that bite
to eat, because the outcome will outweigh the downside. If you leave, not only will
you miss out on a good opportunity to pay dirt cheap prices for the same thing elsewhere,
you will miss out on better quality food. As per Costco employees, the food is fresher
at peak hours during lunch and supper because of the high turnover. When it gets really
busy, those pizzas are flying out of the oven in no time. The food is not sitting under
heat lamps drying out, even though they do switch out the pizzas every hour. But in case
you come at the 1/2 hr mark, the pizza has had enough time to sit there and get very
oily with all that cheese. The same goes for the hot dogs or other menu items. They whip
up more hot dogs during the rush, estimating they will have more clients. They have everything
ready-made and raring to go in seconds. Fast service is a highlight of the experience,
andunchtime is always a safe bet". As one Costco food court employee put it “when
the lines are long, the churros are good."
Employees are Big Food Court Fans
You know a place is good when employees vouch for it. Costco employees are the food courts
biggest fans. They should know, they work and eat there every day, so they have some
great insider tips. They know what is good, and a what is a great deal. One of the most
popular food court items among store employees, is the pizza. One store employee vowed on
social media that he eats there more than he should. He believes the "Pizza Crust is
yummy, the toppings are of good quality" and after eating a slice of pizza, he goes for
his second favorite, the pistachio gelato. Other employee prefer the pepperoni pizza,
because of the crispy pepperoni and cheesy consistency. Most employees would rather eat
there after work than anywhere else. They know what goes into the food and trust the
quality of Costco products. Costco employees what their favorite Costco food court was
and most answered that the pizza was by far the winner and the most popular, with hot
dogs coming in second. Another popular food court contender with the employees was the
berry smoothie at $1.50. They all thought this was a good healthy option, especially
for breakfast.
Nutritional Information
We all know by now that most food courts don’t offer very healthy food options usually. Costco
is no exception, although their in store products leave a good mark, the exact opposite can
be said about the food court. If you are worried about what goes into your lean fit body and
are a fanatic about daily healthy eating, you can ask for a list of nutritional information
regarding items on the menu at the food court. This way you can actually gauge on what would
be a healthier food alternative for you. Although one must say, the Costco food court has few
choices for those healthy eaters. It does have some options, although limited, even
their Caesar Chicken Salad packs lots of calories. The Acai bowls or the fruit smoothies may
sound boring, but can do the trick. Don't fret, one day of cheating won’t kill you.
If you are really worried about how much damage it will do, just ask for nutritional information
sheets. Employees have them readily available at the food court and keep them under the
counter. They may not like you doing this on busy times, but they are available if you
must have one one.
Rotating Menu Items
Depending on the location of your Costco, the food court will have one open slot on
their menu for a rotating menu item. This means that while all the mainstays you expect
to find at the Coscto food court will always be there, you're also likely to find a fresh
new menu item when you visit the Costco food court. Of course, the menu changes are based
on local tastes and are not exactly the same from region to region and in other countries.So
yes, don't worry, you will always find menu favorites like the Chicken Bake, Acai Bowls,
Pizza, Berry Smoothies, Hot Dogs, Moche Latte Freeze, Chicken Caesar Salads, and Churros,
to name a few. But you'll also find a rotating menu item that always changing. These have
included things like a Turkey Wraps, Carne Asada Bake, Hot Turkey and Provolone, and
Barbecue Beef Brisket Sandwiches. When you see one of these on the menu make sure to
scoop it up as they are only available while supplies last and may be replaced by another
rotating menu item next time you visit your local Costco food court.
The Secret to Chicken Bake is Caesar Dressing
Costco shoppers and employees just love the chicken bakes sold at Costco’s food court.
A cross between, a calzone or pizza pocket and a chicken Caesar salad, these tender morsels
are a big fan favorite. Exclusive to Costco, they are pretty addictive. The Costco chef's
secret aside from being made fresh from scratch daily, is their secret Caesar sauce. They
use the same pizza dough for their pizzas, but smother the top of them with Caesar dressing
instead of tomato sauce, then they add grilled and sliced chicken breasts, mozzarella, bacon,
and onions. The y then roll them up, top it with some more Caesar dressing and shredded
Parmesan cheese, and pop them in the ovens to get baked, not fried. The Caesar dressing
gives it that salty, creamy kick that just oozes goodness. It’s the same dressing used
for their Chicken Caesar salad. You can ask for a pack if you want extra sauce. Food court
Chicken bakes are far more superior than the frozen in-store brand, but if you want to
try making them yourself, you can find the recipe online.
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