The Discontinued Costco Food Court Sandwich Fans Wish Would Return
Even if you don't shop at Costco, there's a good chance you've at least heard about the food court. Many people love the pizza, which is famously prepared by a robot, and customers are always talking about the $1.50 hot dog. But for a long time, Costco also had an Italian sausage sandwich. Priced at $2.79, this menu item consisted of an Italian sausage on a bun, topped with roasted peppers and onions.
If you've never heard of this sandwich before, it may be because it was only available in certain locations including Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Boston, and Brooklyn. According to collective memory, the last time the Italian sausage sandwich was ever available was sometime between 2019 and 2020. Though years have passed since its discontinuation, Costco members are still craving it. "I'd always stop in Costco for that sausage sandwich and then spend a few hundred — it definitely got me into the store," one customer reminisced on Reddit. "I literally stopped shopping there after they got rid of it they destroyed my family ritual of getting one before shopping," another complained in a TikTok comment.
What happened to Costco's Italian sausage sandwich?
Since the Italian sausage sandwich was a favorite among customers, you might be wondering why Costco decided to pull it from the menu, and there are a few possible explanations. The discontinuation coincided with when Costco simplified its entire food court menu which included the Italian sausage sandwich. This decision was made because during the pandemic, Costco had to adapt to changes in consumer behavior, product availability, and safety protocols.
However there's also a possibility that the Italian sausage sandwich was slowly being phased out in the years leading up to 2020 and had nothing to do with the pandemic. In a Reddit thread, one customer recalls the Italian sausage sandwich beginning to disappear around 2016, while another Redditor claimed that the last time they had it was circa 2014.
The Italian sausage sandwich obviously had its fans, but maybe it wasn't popular enough to keep around any longer. A handful of the comments on the same Reddit threads had complained about the taste and quality, for example, how fatty it was. Perhaps the Italian sausage sandwich wasn't as good as people remember and the sales reflected that, ultimately leading Costco to discontinue it.
Will Costco ever bring back the Italian sausage sandwich?
Several years have already gone by since the last time Costco had the Italian sausage sandwich on the menu at the food court, so it appears that Costco doesn't have plans to bring it back. However, the possibility is always there. Take the chicken caesar salad for example. After disappearing for three years, Costco eventually brought it back, albeit with changes to the original recipe and price. The same could happen to the Italian sausage sandwich too.
If you don't want to hold out hope for a comeback, the good news is you can still enjoy a taste of Costco's Italian sausage sandwich. According to self-identified Costco employees on a Reddit thread, the Italian sausages used in the food court are Premio brand sweet sausages, which you can buy in the meat section in a smaller size. This claim seems to check out, as Costco shares a recipe for a sausage sandwich on its website, and it says "recipe courtesy of Premio Foods." It may be worth making this recipe at home rather than waiting for the sandwich to be reintroduced to the food court.