In recent changes at the Costco food court, beloved by many fans for its affordable and tasty offerings, some fans are feeling heartbroken and dissatisfied. One of the most missed items on the menu is the popular and reasonably priced $1.25 French fries, which have been discontinued, leaving fans expressing their sentiments online.
On the other hand, even though Costco has brought back the combo pizza to its shelves, it is not available for purchase at the food court, causing dissatisfaction among members.
According to a report on the “Eat This, Not That” website on January 8, a Reddit user expressed nostalgia for the best French fries they had ever eaten at their local Costco store. The user wrote, “Local Costco used to sell the best fries I’ve ever had… I live in the Northeast of the US, and my local Costco had tasty fries.” They continued, “Every time I went, I would buy 2 to 4 orders of fries. I still haven’t had better fries to this day, and they only cost $1.25. They discontinued during the pandemic and never came back. I miss them dearly.”
When asked why another Reddit user did not see the fries at their local Costco food court, they responded, “Then you missed out. Maybe it’s for the best not to endure the pain of never eating them again.”
Another Reddit user mentioned that the reason the French fries were removed was because the food court prioritizes pizza, and the fryer created interference with the pizza oven or similar reasons.
Some Reddit users indicated that these fries were available in five locations on the East Coast: Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania; Sterling, Springfield, and Newington in Virginia; and Bridgewater in New Jersey.
“The food court is the most mysterious department of Costco,” added a puzzled internet user.
While some Costco fans lament not being able to enjoy the delicious fries, another group of internet users is actively discussing the pizza from the food court.
The Kirkland Signature combo pizza returned to stores in March 2024 with various toppings such as sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. However, unlike before the pandemic, the combo pizza is not available for purchase at the food court; customers have to buy frozen pizza in-store and bake it at home.
A new issue is that the newly introduced pizza is priced at $16.99, significantly higher than the original $9.95 at the food court.
Numerous Instagram users bluntly expressed their opinion that the combo pizza’s price was “a bit expensive.” Reddit users also voiced their dissatisfaction with the price and taste of the combo pizza.
One pizza fan wrote, “Costco, stop playing around and bring the combo to the food court again.”
In the 1990s, shortly after Costco food courts introduced this pizza, it became a popular item.
In 2020, Costco removed the pizza from the food court menu, causing outrage among shoppers. According to Yahoo Life, Costco stated that the pizza was removed for cost reasons.
Furthermore, there have been reports that Costco has eliminated the free coffee bean grinding service at multiple stores, a service that was popular among members, sparking online uproar.
Reddit user @phteven1989 posted this news last week along with a photo of a notice stating, “Attention: Coffee grinder no longer available.”
“Oh, I don’t know what’s going on… but we lost the privilege to use the grinder,” another Reddit user commented in a post last Tuesday.
Another Reddit user also confirmed the news in the post. “What happened, they took away the grinder?” user @StinklePink inquired.
These two Reddit posts were quickly inundated with comments from other disappointed shoppers.