Costco Food Court May Be Unavailable To Non-Members Starting Next Month
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The tasty and inexpensive treats of the Costco food court may soon be available to members only.
A photo of a sign posted on the "CostcoDeals" Instagram account states, "Effective March 16th, 2020 an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court."
Some customers are disappointed over the news that they will no longer be able to purchase a hot dog and a drink for just $1.50 without a membership.
"I feel like no, we don't need to be a member for that," said one shopper. "It should just be ok."
The backlash isn't just from customers at the stores. Shoppers are taking to social media to share their feelings on the policy changes.
One person wrote, "Going to lose out a lot of money from customers who don't have a membership that do purchase from the outdoor court." Another said "This is so lame."
Others see why the company would want to use the food court to incentivize memberships which start at $60 a month.
"I think it's pretty dumb from a business standpoint because they're going to lose money, or they may actually gain money. Maybe they'll sign up just for the food," one shopper said.
Costco corporate has not yet commented on the Instagram post. It was not immediately clear how many stores will roll out the new policy, although online food blogs say each store may roll out the policy on its own timeline.