Costco is also easily one of the nation's biggest suppliers of hot dogs to the populace. In 2023, Costco food courts altogether sold just about 200 million hot dog and soft drink combo meals ...

Customers wait in line at the food court outside a Costco Wholesale Corp. warehouse store in Inglewood, California, on June 12, 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images) ...

Customers wait in line to order at a Costco food court outside a Costco Wholesale Corp. store on June 14, 2022, in Hawthorne, California. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) ...

Like most grand ventures, the food court at Costco had humble beginnings. The original warehouse club opened in 1983, and a simple food stand was established a year later outside a San Diego ...

The food court is best known for three main traits: simplicity, ... Costco announced that starting in April, locations with outside food courts will require membership cards to purchase menu items.

The food court now features more than double the previous seating capacity. “We’ve gone from 122 to a 272-seat capacity,” said Exchange General Manager Lajima Marshall-Pierce.