Costco quietly makes big policy update to food courts
Costco is quietly expanding self-checkout systems at its food courts to fend off non-members, enraging visitors hungry for a hot dog or pizza.
The membership-only warehouse chain is known for offering bargain meal deals at its food courts, including its ultra-cheap $1.50 hot dog and soda combo that has stayed the same price since 1984.
But Costco now appears to be taking a hardline approach to who can dine there, according to eagle-eyed shoppers.
Self-checkouts at its food courts now include a membership card scanner, meaning that only paying members can make purchases.
One user in a Reddit forum spotted the scanners at a store, noting that a Costco food court employee said 'they were recently hooked up but not operational at this time.'
'Mine has had these more than a year,' another user noted. 'No more lunch hot dogs for non members.'
A third chimed in: 'No more free loaders at the food courts.'
A user claiming to be a Costco worker spoke up to confirm the change: 'I'm a food court employee, and I've heard that they've been wanting to implement these for all Costcos for a while now. Seems like they might be finally doing it.'
Costco is quietly expanding self-checkout systems at its food courts to fend off non-members
If the new measures are put into place at all stores, food court fans will have to fork over $65 for a standard membership or $130 for premium to get their fill
Previously, some Costco food courts were open to the public, partly as a way to encourage non-members to become paying members.
Outdoor food courts were always more vulnerable to non-members because shoppers aren't required to scan their cards until they enter the store.
Last year, the company began requiring visitors to its outdoor food courts to show membership cards.
Many members cheered the decision, saying it cut down on lines.
'We've been scanning Costco memberships in local (SoCal) warehouses for a few years now, probably since most of our food courts are outdoors,' another Reddit user stated recently. 'Looks like it may finally be rolling out nationwide?'
The company did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment on the scanners.
If the new measures are put into place everywhere, it appears food court fans will have to fork over $65 for a standard membership or $130 for premium to get their fill.
In an interview with Axios, Richard Galanti, Costco's former chief financial officer, confirmed the change was initially rolled out at outside food courts.
One eagle-eyed Reddit user snapped a photo of the food court card scanner, noting that an employee confirmed that 'they were recently hooked up but not operational at this time' (pictured)
Last year, the company began requiring visitors to its outdoor food courts to show membership cards
The membership scanner implementation is partly to prevent food courts from being too busy
'One of the challenges is that some of the food courts have gotten so busy, particularly if it's near some office buildings or construction sites,' he said. 'We were getting member complaints.'
Costco's food court is notoriously popular, with other fan-favorite menu items such as $1.99 pizza slices (or $9.95 for the whole 18-inch pie), a chicken bake for $3.99, and an ice cream cup for $1.99, consistently drawing customers in.
The store controversially removed a previous menu staple in early 2024.
The famous Costco churro, which sold for just $1, was scrapped from the food court menu and replaced with the giant cookie.
