-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
Eating at the Costco Food Court Will Now Require A Membership
- Thread starter Walter White Walker
- Start date
Hey, I'm not knocking your charitable nature at all. If you took that the wrong way, sorry. I'm trying to praise, if anything. My point is just that Costco itself is not a charity.
Is the chicken faux-grilled? Or could they source it from the very last batch of the rotisserie chicken that would otherwise end up in the dumpster at the close of business the day prior? I haven't purchased it so I don't know where the most expensive item in the dish could come from.
Absolutely agreed. Costco pizza is pretty damn good and their hot dog/soda combo is unbeatable in price. Honestly, their entire menu at my local Costco is really tasty and the prices can't be beat.
I really should have elaborated before I got snark, my fault , that's my bad. It's just a touchy subject I know a lot of people that my little anecdote applies to.
That's the question. My only reason for bringing it up is that it is one of the more expensive menu items and if you do a comparative analysis (by which I mean me eating salads at other places) a comparable salad would cost between 8-10 bucks.
As you know, chicken breast is relatively expensive but they clearly have a supplier, as evidenced by their in-store offerings.
So like I said, maybe. Or maybe not.
Forget the $1.50 hotdog. Jersey Costcos have a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich for $2.50.
Other Costcos don't and it makes me mad.
Other Costcos don't and it makes me mad.
Mine here in CA. certainly don't and I am enraged. :)
Sounds delicious.
Personally I just wish they'd move the dang food court out of the way of the exit at my Costco. It's like a wall of carts, tables, and condiment dispensers as soon as you get through checkout.
I feel like this microcosmic discussion vis a vis a membership fee for cheap fast food is a fascinating mirror into how Capitalism is a disease of the brain.
I paid my 50$ Only I should get a 1.50$ hot dog on my way out, it's not fair!
I paid my 50$ Only I should get a 1.50$ hot dog on my way out, it's not fair!
According to this article the hot dog and soda combo is sold at a loss. https://www.mashed.com/150302/this-is-why-costcos-hot-dog-combos-really-cost-1-50/
Got any receipts for this? The price hasn't changed in 35 years. Based on this and everything that's been said about it in various articles, I find it hard to believe unless you have some sort of evidence that says otherwise.
No, because the various employees have their role in the process. If you fire one of the cashiers then the wait time gain is lost. Plus, the fact that they aren't losing money on the food is a gain for them with the same number of employees and Costco has shown they are friendly to their employees.
Bay Area
Nobody has said or implied this though...
I think it's more tribal than anything.
Member vs. non-member.
You can get the receipts yourself - they sell the dogs/sausages in the store, and the buns. If I remember right, the polish sausages are $10 for 24 of them. And of course fountain soda is one of the cheapest things for any restaurant to serve.
Again, they make their money on membership and sell everything else for relatively cheap because of it. It's their business model. It's not a disease of the brain. The only reason this is even an issue is because they let everyone in in the first place and now people think it's their right to partake, when clearly it was part of member services. That was their mistake, not being exclusive sooner because I guarantee you that if they had, nobody would be complaining "why is costco not letting non members eat at their food court which has always been exclusive to members?"
For the couple of people that have said "why not just raise prices for non members" do you really think the same people wouldn't complain about that?
There's more to the cost of the hot dog than just the hot dog, bun, and soda. Are you forgetting the ketchup, mustard, onions, sauerkraut, cup, foil, straw, and napkin? Then beyond the cost of goods, there is the overhead of labor, power, and other materials involved with the process from start to finish.
And what does it cost to provide electricity, heat/air conditioning, kitchen equipment, water, condiments, wrappers, POS systems, cups, straws, lids and staffing (which includes the cost of recruiting, hiring, training, and full compensation package) for the concession stand? If they're making so much money off of their $1.50 hot dog and drink combo's, why don't you see them sold everywhere for that price? MAYBE they don't "lose" money on the hot dogs, but there is no way they're making any money off of them either.
Yep, we know this is true too because nobody is complaining about not being able to buy the $5 rotisserie chicken if you're not a member.
Someone did get receipts, and they are in direct conflict with this position. Unless you're arguing that the author of the article and/or Costco are being purposely disingenuous. Which again, need receipts to back up that sort of claim.
This....feels like a blatant straw man argument.
Ah, maybe it is. I was just doing napkin math since the hot dogs come from the shelves in the store. When you buy the components to make them at home the price per dog has to be under $0.75, and that's the price I'm paying as a consumer vs the price the store buys the goods for. Soda can't cost much either, but then you have to add on employee salaries, building costs, ect.
You could easily twist that around to be:
"It's not fair that I can't buy things without a membership at the membership based store"
It's not like Costco hotdogs are some staple that you need to have to live. They're not even the cheapest, and certainly not the healthiest, way to get food.
Edit:
Personally, I don't care if non-members can buy it, but I don't think it's some horrible disaster that they can't either.
Difference is they put this outside the store and it's a change of policy
I think it's more about common sense personally.
Most of them are inside the store, not outside.
Only some stores are the food courts outside, and no, the policy has always been that you needed a membership to eat at the food court, they are just enforcing it now.
An unenforced rule being suddenly enforced is still a change of policy
That shit has to go nationwide, I'd partake on that over the plain hot dog any day if it was possible.
Eh, potato, pohtato. If you want to eat at the food court, get a membership. Or don't, and do not eat at the food court. It's quite simple. It's far from the cheapest way to eat a hot dog. Costco is a business, not a public service.
Why does it matter if it's a policy change or not?
The worst that will happen is someone will be disappointed they can't get the food they want, and buy it somewhere else.
The narrative here would be "now there is a poor tax on non-members".
lol, I'm sorry, but someone being a little picky if even judgmental toward Costco fast food is now the reason we have trump? Good grief, you sure summed up quite a lot from that one sentence post you quoted.
oh thank heaven lol. I couldn't believe it. My bad, mate.
Wait, people are upset over this?
Uhhhhhh Costco decided that the Costco food court is now for Costco members only.
What in the world could you possibly be upset about. Costco isn't a goddamn charity. If they don't want to subsidize food costs for the community anymore, they're not obligated to.
Uhhhhhh Costco decided that the Costco food court is now for Costco members only.
What in the world could you possibly be upset about. Costco isn't a goddamn charity. If they don't want to subsidize food costs for the community anymore, they're not obligated to.
And that's the problem right there. People think that food shouldn't be a right, that food is a privilege because living itself shouldn't be a right.
OP
OP
Anecdotal but I've never seen anyone order the cheeseburger they introduced in the last few years. They should eliminate that and introduce this sandwich.
They just turned me away without a card. The door guy said the stores do it differently and their manager is strict about it. The change might already be done.
Why is it Costco's obligation to lose money on food? If they are obligated, why aren't you arguing that the food should be free?
OP
OP
You don't have a right to food at a business. If you want to keep getting the food court hot dog, than pony up for a membership.
Next you'll be arguing they should give food away because people have a right to it.
Apologies! $2.79, not $2.50. It's been a few years since I lived back home and could grab one of these every Saturday morning after the Costco shopping trip.
Food should be free.
People don't have a right, and that's the problem. Food should be a right.
Ensuring that nobody is deprived of necessary food is the job of the state, not a private business like Costco.
The folks agreeing with Costco in this particular instance are NOT advocating the position you're describing. Like, at all.
At least at mine they got rid of it. It seemed pretty pricey for a Costco burger, but that may be because it's a direct comparison to the hot dog prices. I did like the chili but that was pricey as well.
They also do something weird with the fountain drinks, I'm not sure if it's cost savings or what but the fountain drinks always taste off/terrible. I'm actually surprised Pepsi (I think it's Pepsi) lets them get away with it.
OP
OP
Free food from businesses is not a right and never will be. Why should Costco pay for food, pay to have people prepare, plus all the overhead and give it to you for free?
You are way too entitled.
Oh, ok. So you're complaining about all restaurants and food places that charge for food then?
I'm complaining about capitalism, yes. These businesses should be forcefully seized and the resources distributed to help the population.
Ok then. Thanks for clarifying your position, at least you're consistent.