Here's What Costco's Food Court Used to Be Called

There are so many things to love about Costco, from its budget-friendly prices to its many membership benefits. But every die-hard Costco fan will tell you one thing: The food court is hands down one of the best perks of the warehouse store.

And if you’re a Costco member, you’re all too familiar with the wafting smells of pizza and hot dogs that welcome you as you walk in. The kicker is that the yummy smells are matched with the food court’s appetizing prices. Where else can you get a soda for 79 cents, or the famous hot-dog-and-soda combination for just $1.50? Not a hot dog fan? Opt for a $2 pizza slice—they’re ginormous.

But have you ever thought about the name of Costco’s food court? That’s right, it once had a name, and we bet you won’t be able to guess what it is.

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When did Costco introduce its food court?

Costco opened its inaugural food court (using the term loosely) in 1984 at its San Diego location. This came just one year after the opening of the first-ever Costco in Seattle, in 1983, though the big box store was called something else back then.

Costco’s first “food court” was not in the front of the store with seating, like they are today. In fact, it wasn’t even inside the store. It was—wait for it—an outdoor hot dog stand.

“It offered a small menu of hot dogs and sodas to give shoppers a cheap, quick bite while they shopped,” says Marty Bauer, an e-commerce and retail industry expert at Omnisend.

A Costco employee from Bozeman, Montana, spoke with Reader’s Digest about his experience with the hot dog stands. “When I started in 1991, we only had hot dog carts,” he says. “They were standalone carts, kinda like what you see at the beach or something.”

That’s right. The Costco “food court” was once just a mobile food cart.

What was the Costco food court originally called?

Famous all beef hot dog and fountain drink offering inside Costco Warehouse Food Court — Olga/stock.adobe.com

The first rendition of Costco’s indoor food court was originally called “Cafe 150.” Why? The name was a tribute to that solo hot dog cart that once stood outside the warehouse—selling hot dogs (and hot dogs only) for $1.50.

“The name ‘Cafe 150’ was really because it was the only thing we sold: a soda and a hot dog for a buck-50,” says the Bozeman employee.

In the beginning of Cafe 150, the warehouse sold hot dogs and a Polish sausage. It wasn’t until the merger between Costco and Price Club in 1993 that the food menu started to diversify. That is when more familiar fan favorites—like pizza, churros, salads, ice cream and more—entered the scene.

What is the Costco food court called now?

Unfortunately, the Costco food court no longer has a name. It’s simply referred to as “the food court.” While this seems way less fun, there was a tactical reason behind this shift, according to Bauer.

Why did Costco change the name?

When Price Club and Costco merged, numerous changes needed to be made to ensure the transition was seamless, which included eliminating the food court name. “It was a simple way to unify brand identity,” Bauer says. “The food court name changed along with the warehouse’s so members wouldn’t be confused by different names on the same building.”

Does anything still cost $1.50 at the food court?

Yes! The famous $1.50 hot-dog-and-soda combination is still alive and well today. However, this may be the only item that has remained the same price since its 1984 genesis. On Reddit, one Costco member (presumably in Canada) shared that the price for poutine rose from $4.69 to $5.99 in September 2023. (Anyone else now planning a road trip across our northern border? Just us?)

Even if prices have gone up on items at the food court, it’s still hard to beat it for value. Where else can you get a pizza slice the size of your head for $1.99 or a water bottle for spare change? Next time you head to Costco, look for us in the “food court,” whatever it’s called.

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