What’s the best hot dog you can order when
the craving strikes? For us, it's the hot dogs from Costco Food Court. Coming in at
just $1.50 with a soda, this is a deal that's both delicious and hard to beat. We're not
the only ones who think so. as these hot dogs have been tremendously successful for Costco.
But for such a low price, it does leave us asking ourselves quite a few questions about
this Costco staple. With that in mind here are the Top 10 Untold Truths About Costco
Hot Dogs. It Started As A Hot Dog Cart This may be hard to believe, especially as
the Costco food court is so popular and offers an array of great-tasting food, at super cheap
prices. But the entire idea started out as a simple hot dog cart. Back in the early 1980's
Costco was playing with the idea of selling food to its customers, but not wanting to
waste too much money on a venture that might not work, they put a hot dog cart outside
their warehouse in San Diego. The hot dog cart was an instant success and actually brought
more people's attention to Costco. While these days the idea of eating food while shopping
at Costco seems obvious, at the time it was a bold move by the wholesalers. Costco Loses Money On Their Hot Dogs The truth is that Costco loses money every
time it sells a hot dog. At only $1.50 for both a hot dog and a soda, that means Costco
is losing money on every hot dog, but the company couldn't care less. They know that
no one goes to Costco just for Hot Dogs, they know you'll buy something else, if not this
time then the next. Think of it as a reason to get you in the door: you go in for the
$1.50 hot dog, but you leave with a cart full of stuff. This is a tried and true marketing
tactic and leaves people with a good feeling about the company like they aren't trying
to squeeze every penny out of you. That said, the $1.50 Hot Dog and a Soda deal is one of
their best and believe it or not has been available for the same exact price since 1985. Companies
have raised the prices of their popular fast food many times over in the same time span,
but not the Costco Hot Dog special. In the long list of things beloved about Costco,
the $1.50 hot dog special is way up there. Soggy Buns! While the Costco hot dog is a monumental success
and one big reason to go to Costco, there is one downside to it, and that is the bun.
We've all been there; lining up at the Costco food court, luxuriating in those tasty smells.
All the food looks so good that we spent the first part deciding if we want the pizza or
the hot dog. Once we've decided on the hot dog combo, we order it and start tucking into
that beef goodness. However, about halfway through the bun starts to get soggy and by
the end of the hot dog, we are left with a mouth full of mush! Unfortunately, this is
all down to how Costco cooks the hot dogs and their buns. To mass-produce so many hot
dogs, Costco boils their weiners and as a result of this, there is a lot of moisture
just waiting to get out. The trick is to eat the hot dog as quickly as possible so the
moisture doesn't have time to soak the bun. Hold on to that hot dog for too long and the
bun will start fall apart. Does Costco Still Have Hot Dogs? The great Costco food court has not stopped
selling the all-beef hot dogs anywhere in the country. And rest assured, the original
all-beef hot dog combo is here to stay. Costco has been hinting at a menu change for some
time now but they have no plans to ditch their hot dog. Recently, the company began rolling
out new vegan and vegetarian food items. But don't run off and buy every Kirkland hot dog
you can find in fear that they will disappear off the menu anytime soon. The $1.50 Costco
hot dog deal will remain. While adding vegan and vegetarian options is a good thing, the
hot dog will always remain. It is reported that Costco sells somewhere in the region
of 100 million hot dogs each and every year. To put that into some kind of perspective:
that's four times the amount of hot dogs sold in each Major League Baseball stadium combined. The Price Has Never Changed There are many people these days that look
back to the good old days and wish they could go back there. The real reason that a lot
of people yearn for the days gone by is that most things were a lot cheaper and you could
get more bang for your buck. Those people might be happy to know that the Costco hot
dog combo has never changed its prices. Through a lot of inflation, plus many recessions and
crashes, the Costco hot dog combo has remained at $1.50 since the very first one was sold
way back in 1985. The reason for this is that Costco sees their food court as an extra incentive
for people to sign up and shop there. Not only that but selling great food at low prices
can help take the sting out of their yearly membership fees. The Combo Is Actually Bigger Today As we have mentioned on our list of the top
10 untold truths of the Costco hot dog, the price of the hot dog combo has never changed.
While this fact brings us plenty of joy, you would expect the meal to be smaller as the
price is so low. After all, isn't that what most places that sell fast food do? They either
increase their prices to match the inflation of the world, or they give you less food.
Sometimes companies actually do both! However, not only have Costco kept their prices the
same but they have actually increased the amount you get. When Costco's hot dog combo
first debuted you got a quarter pound hot dog with a 12-ounce soda. Now you get a 20-ounce
soda, plus free refills, and the hot dogs themselves are 10 percent bigger and longer.
You don't have to be a mathematical genius to work out that you get a lot more for your
money today. This is just another reason why the Costco hot dog combo is such a winner
with customers and fast food fans. What Kind of Hot Dog Does Costco Use Now? One of the big untold truths you might want
to know about the famous Costco hot dog is what wiener they actually use. The Costco
Food Court hot dogs are actually just Kirkland Signature Beef Wieners and are widely available
at all Costco stores. All of which should surprise no one, but what's actually surprising
is that this wasn't always the case. Up until 2009, Costco Food Court actually used Hebrew
National Hot Dogs. Also surprising is that the decision to go away from Hebrew National
was not Costco's choice. The availability of the wieners for their hot dogs from their
suppliers simply stopped, so they looked internally to solve this issue. While some were angered
by the sudden halt in serving Kosher dogs, a lot of other people were pleased with the
change. Kirkland Brand Hot Dogs are 10 percent bigger, 100% beef and made with USDA choice
cuts and are free from additives, artificial ingredients, and food coloring. So when you
dig into that Costco hot dog goodness, you're actually eating one of the healthiest hot
dogs in the world, and it's not going to leave a big dent in your wallet either. And Now For The Ingredients Bit We all know that hot dog wieners are not very
good for you. On top of that, we have all read horror pieces about the type of meat,
and part of the animal, that makes up a hot dog wiener. While the thought of all those
ingredients might make you go off hotdogs forever, you can actually feel a bit better
about eating the Costco hot dog. The Costco hot dog uses Kirkland brand wieners and they
include 100 percent beef. The other less exciting ingredients are: water, dextrose, salt, spices,
sodium lactate, garlic, sodium diacetate, sodium erythorbate, paprika, and sodium nitrite.
What the Costco hot dog does not have is those nasty add-ons such as artificial flavors,
colors, phosphates, corn syrup, or in fact any other 'fillers' which a lot of companies
use to bulk up their wieners. They also contain no by-products and they are completely gluten-free.
While other companies use a long list of bad ingredients and chemicals in their hot dog
wieners, Costco is all good and natural. They Don't Sell Beef Hot Dogs In Japan In most Costco stores, in particular across
the US and Canada, the hot dogs that you will find are the Kirkland 100% beef ones. However,
across the world in Japan, they don't sell beef hot dogs, they actually sell hot dogs
made from pork. According to many people who have visited a Japanese Costco, the pork hot
dog tastes just like any other Costco hot dog. The decision from Costco to switch from
beef to pork in their hot dogs isn't that surprising as Costco offers a lot of food
that is tailored to regional markets. While Japan has a pork hot dog, in South Korea,
you can get Teriyaki bowls; in Canada, you can enjoy a tasty poutine while shopping in
Costco; and while down under in Australia you can get meat pies. While there may be
plenty to choose from in your local Costco, in all Costcos you can get your hands on their
hot dog and most people do. The Food Court And The Infamous Hot Dog It's fair to say that the Costco food court
has reached cult-like status. With plenty of references in popular culture, from TV
shows to movies, the food court is the place to be for so many people. A couple from San
Diego actually had a first date at a Costco food court and three years later they went
back and had their wedding there. While the idea of having a date, or wedding, at a Costco,
may well appeal to more and more people, most of us go there for a great snack. After over
three decades of the food court, the number one item that Costco sells is still the hot
dog and soda combo. Plus they aren't as bad for you as most fast food and you get a soda
with refills as well. All for $1.50! But there is more: if your hot dog is cold or if you
are not satisfied with it, then they will give you a fresh one. Not only that but you
can add an array of toppings to your hot dog free of charge. Some stores still have topping
dispensers with things like onions and sauerkraut. But if your Costco doesn't have them, or you
can't find them, then ask for the toppings at the counter. Take another bite out of one of our other
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