A good trip to Costco consists of three things:
- Spending more than you intended
- Eating all the free samples
- Hitting the food court on the way out
I would argue that Costco's food court is the most underrated restaurant in the country, and I'm willing to fight about it. They offer quality food at a quality price, and you know exactly what to expect.
You want a hot dog? You get a basic hot dog.
You want a slice of pizza? You get a perfect slice of pizza.
You want an ice cream cone? You get an incredible cone.
One of the most popular items on the menu, however, will no longer be available. The Polish hot dog is going to be ripped from the Costco menu in order to make room for newer, healthier options.
"Not everybody gets as excited about pizza and hot dogs as I do," chief executive W. Craig Jelinek said.
First off, you're wrong. Everyone gets excited about those things. Second, the new items don't have the same excitement level of a hot dog. Costco will be introducing a plant-based protein salad, aí§ai bowls, and organic burgers.
"This new plant-based protein salad, I know that excites you," Jelinek reportedly said during a shareholder meeting. "But it is healthy. And, uh, actually, it tastes pretty good, if you like those kind of things. I tried it once."
The all-beef hot dog will remain on the menu, but chief financial officer Richard Galanti says that in order to keep prices low, changes have to be made.
"As costs go up you've got to be more efficient, which we know how to do," Galanti said. "I can assure we don't make a lot on the hot dog and soda."
Costco still sells their iconic hot dogs at the same menu price from 1985, which is $1.50. Co-founder Jim Sinegal said that a cost increase would "mean that I'm dead."
"We're known for that hot dog," Sinegal said a decade ago. "That's something you don't mess with."
Sinegal stepped down from the board of directors earlier this year, which might explain why this hot dog change is happening now. Clearly Sinegal knew what he was talking about though, because people are not impressed by the removal of the polish sausage.
One user also said they Costco got rid of their chocolate swirl cone AND their berry sundae, but there's really no indication that this is true.