Costco Just Released A New Food Court Sandwich, But The Price Is Causing A Backlash
In this world, it can help to embrace change, but one place where that will never be true is the Costco food court menu, well-known by its fans for its affordable and tasty treats, and free ice to keep groceries cold on the drive home. Chief among its long list of options is the $1.50 hot dog and drink combo. It's so cherished that it has inspired its own fan site, and rumors of price changes were assuaged in an earnings call last year by Costco senior vice president of finance and investor relations Bob Nelson.
"Let me just say the price when we introduced the hot dog/soda combo in the mid-'80s was $1.50. The price today is $1.50, and we have no plans to increase the price at this time," said Nelson according to Food & Wine.
Needless to say, price points are a huge reason why fans flock to Costco's food court. Now, the retailer has introduced a new menu item, but it's one that doesn't seem to fit in. According to a Reddit post in r/Costco, a Lynnwood, Washington branch has a listing for a new roast beef sandwich, but unfortunately, the price of the new sandwich was met with criticism from fans.
$10 for a sandwich? Not at Costco
According to the post in r/Costco, the new roast beef sandwich sells at the price of $9.99. As many users were quick to point out, this puts it on the higher end of the menu's offerings. "Yeah that's a little pricey ... Same price as a whole pizza," wrote one user.
It's hard to judge the size of the sandwich based on the menu photo, but it appears to be served on a ciabatta-style roll, and features sliced roast beef, onion relish, a mayo and mustard blend, lettuce, roasted cherry tomatoes, and red onions on an artisan roll. That might sound like a great sandwich, but considering it costs the same as two of Costco's famous rotisserie chickens it's likely going to be a Costco item to avoid for many.
"$10 for a single-serve, individual item doesn't seem to fit in well with the rest of their lineup. I would expect this to be a poor seller and get scratched from the lineup quickly. Especially considering this is more than 2x the cost of the turkey/pesto," wrote another user. At this time it's unclear what Costco's plan is for this new sandwich, and the company did not respond to a confirmation request from Eat This, Not That!
A review on YouTube notes that the sandwich is served "ice cold." The video critique also points out that while the sandwich tasted good, that same $10 would net you six hot dogs and six sodas.