Change coming to Costco's $1.50 hot dog-soda combo
UPDATE: We noted below that Pepsi already had replaced Coke in two of Costco’s eight regions.
They’ve been a fixture at Costco for decades, drawing crowds for lunch, kid parties and date nights, with a price that hasn’t changed in 27 years.
We’re talking about Costco’s $1.50 hot dog and soda combo at the food court. Last year the Issaquah-based retail giant sold 109 million combos in its 600-plus warehouses worldwide.
But fans of the quarter-pound dog and 20-ounce fountain soda are in for a change.
Starting in April, Costco will begin selling Pepsi instead of Coke in all of its food courts, a switch that happened during Costco’s cola bidding process, the industry site BevNET reported Thursday.
“Coke’s red wall of Costco had begun to show cracks as early as three years ago when the company lost two of the eight U.S. Costco regions to (Pepsi).” BevNET noted.
Customers will still be able to get other sodas, but will cola drinkers still flock to the combo? It’s so popular that shoppers have written the company’s magazine, Costco Connection, with fond stories of long-standing lunch dates, family dinners and kid parties – one including a stretch limo – all involving the $1.50 meal.
Costco heard grumbling back in 2009, when it switched from Hebrew National to Kirkland Signature hot dogs. That was despite the new dog being slightly bigger than the old, kosher dog.
The other big change came earlier, when Costco upsized its soda, from the original 12-ounce can to the 20-ounce vat that now comes with free refills.
Now for the bigger question: Will the price remain $1.50?
The article didn’t answer that specifically. But it quoted Alan Bubitz, Costco’s VP of food services, as sort of saying it. Plus, Costco is proud that its famous hot dog combo has cost the same since 1985.
“You’re not going to be able to please everybody,” Bubitz told BevNET, referring to the coming Coke-to-Pepsi switch. “It’s our job to preserve the integrity of the price point.”
They’ve been a fixture at Costco for decades, drawing crowds for lunch, kid parties and date nights, with a price that hasn’t changed in 27 years.
We’re talking about Costco’s $1.50 hot dog and soda combo at the food court. Last year the Issaquah-based retail giant sold 109 million combos in its 600-plus warehouses worldwide.
But fans of the quarter-pound dog and 20-ounce fountain soda are in for a change.
Starting in April, Costco will begin selling Pepsi instead of Coke in all of its food courts, a switch that happened during Costco’s cola bidding process, the industry site BevNET reported Thursday.
“Coke’s red wall of Costco had begun to show cracks as early as three years ago when the company lost two of the eight U.S. Costco regions to (Pepsi).” BevNET noted.
Customers will still be able to get other sodas, but will cola drinkers still flock to the combo? It’s so popular that shoppers have written the company’s magazine, Costco Connection, with fond stories of long-standing lunch dates, family dinners and kid parties – one including a stretch limo – all involving the $1.50 meal.
Costco heard grumbling back in 2009, when it switched from Hebrew National to Kirkland Signature hot dogs. That was despite the new dog being slightly bigger than the old, kosher dog.
The other big change came earlier, when Costco upsized its soda, from the original 12-ounce can to the 20-ounce vat that now comes with free refills.
Now for the bigger question: Will the price remain $1.50?
The article didn’t answer that specifically. But it quoted Alan Bubitz, Costco’s VP of food services, as sort of saying it. Plus, Costco is proud that its famous hot dog combo has cost the same since 1985.
“You’re not going to be able to please everybody,” Bubitz told BevNET, referring to the coming Coke-to-Pepsi switch. “It’s our job to preserve the integrity of the price point.”
for all the self righteous people that had to comment about how terrible the food is (or how much better you are), unless you have a farm and raise your own animals, your diet is not much better than the crap they sell at Costco.
Do people that eat 1/4 lb lard loaves really care what carbonated sugar liquid they wash it down with?
Really? This is news? Really? A different kind of soda? Who CARES?
One more reason not to shop at costco. pepsi sucks.
i dont like the food they serve at costco food court. its all greasy and i saw several people now using gloves to handle food up in federal way wa. how disgusting.Â
 @Jennifer DeGreef "Disgusting"???? State law requires them to wear gloves while handling food
I prefer Pepsi over Coke, but honestly don't recall which drink has been served at Costco. When people don't have diet Pepsi I just order Diet Coke. It's hardly then end of the world. As another person wrote, "first world problems" LOL.  Gotta love sarcasm.
It's 2013, can we please get coke and pepsi in the same location?
@nismoQ I couldn't agree more! There is a difference between Coke & Pepsi and I don't like Pepsi at all. Offer both and make everyone happy.
Hard to believe people eat and drink this stuff on a regular basis.. get some real food.
They will likely save about 30% or more on the sodas due to people not filling the cups, or just not taking them in the first place as I see all the time. They still lose money but not quite as much.  Â
Ugh i Hate pepsi!
Wish they'd get the soft pretzels that they have at Sam's Club. Â They are the best pretzels...
 @IronWafflez If you are okay with the business practices of Sams and Walmart and can still support them then I guess go there.  But I am a conscious shopper.
 @somegoofyguy No, I'm not and that's why I wish Costco would get the pretzels...
As a sodium addict when I need my fix I head to Costco for a dog, I thought I was the only guy who came for my fix but a couple of weeks ago I saw a fellow dog doer glob his dog full of relish, ketchup, mustard and onions. He then reached into his back-pack for a small plastic container and forked out some sauerkrout. I now there are others of us who are addicted to these sodium filled sausages. Pepsi is the best selling soda on the Olympic Peninsula so I am glad that the Squim Costco is switching.
You get more soda at Sam's Club. Â Just sayin'. Â And all the talk about "date night"... Date night, whether you're' married, single or deciding is about the company... NOT about how much cash you dumped in one night.
I hate Pepsi, Costco already switched the soda fountains at the Everett location, But what happened to Dr.pepper ?
Because it is one of the best and popular sodas I believe Pepsi makes? because Pepsi and Coke fans both drink it.
@L Mansfield Dr. Pepper is owned by 7-UP out of Plaino Texas Not by Pepsi yuckola.
@L Mansfield dr pepper is part of dr pepper/7 up, also a subsidiary of snapple. Coca cola owns the rights outsid of the US and distributed in Europe and most likely elsewhere.
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I wish they'd go back to coke too!
Bring back the sauerkraut!!!!
I couldn't even remember what they were serving; it all tastes the same to me anyway.
I can never recall having the $1.50 Costco special and I've been a member since December of 1983... reckon it won't affect me now... but I do prefer Coca-Cola over Brand X.
BOOOOOOO Pepsi is horrible.
Pepsi is gross. For cola, Coke is the best. If I happen to eat at a restaurant that only has Pepsi products, I ususally go with a Mt Dew or rootbeer.
No change for me, I never drink their soda anyway. Â Although I do buy their $1.50 hotdog, and yes I realize that's weird considering I don't drink soda. :) Â I substitute water.
 @Landshark Ditto, I'm just glad they didn't up the price.
FIrst World Problems...Â
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Pepsi Products...YEAH!!!!!
How about COSTCO switching to a $1.50 membership fee.
Makes little difference to me. I don't and WON'T drink any soda pop beverage. period. You all shouldn't either. That crap is TERRIBLE for you. But still, a buck and a half is pretty good for a dog........
 @chiapetto Is the soda any worse for you than the hot dog?
 @StringerJoe  @chiapetto Much worse. The soda is purely horrible for you, there is nothing good in it. The hot dog is at least mostly just pretty decent meat and empty carbs in the bun. Really the hot dog could be part of a balanced meal if you munched some carrots and ate an apple too, but the soda has no place in your diet or body.
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On a related note, I always get Mtn Dew with my polish dog ;) Â which is a pepsi product and has been sold there for quite a while so this must have been coming on for a bit.
 @phoenixabove Read somewhere that if you can't pronounce an ingredient in a food product you probably shouldn't buy it.
You might want to read the ingredients in those dogs. You'll have a hard time pronouncing some of the them though. I like them and do eat them on occasion but they could never be part of a healthy balanced diet.
 @mootpoint Maybe you were getting Mello Yellow
 @mootpoint  @StringerJoe  @chiapetto Yup, it is...good point......my only defense is that I'll have one of their dogs once every two or three years.....soda pop, never.
Living in California now, the change already took place a here couple of years back. The price here is still $1.50 but the soda fountain leaves a lot to be desired. I can't drink Diet Pepsi (yuk!) and there is only regular Pepsi (too sweet) and Sierra Mist (a bad Sprite knock-off). In order to down the soda my wife and I have to mix the two together to come up with something palatable. I do miss the Diet Coke but the dogs are always good. The combo is always a highlight after battling the lines to check out.
Finally I will be able to partake in the deal without having to purchase different drink.
Funny how they had to update the article because the readers were more accurate about the change to Pepsi than the author.Â
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Yeck - hate Pepsi
It's unfortunate that they have one or the other. Why not have both and let the customer decide?
 @hsk I think it's because Costco keeps prices low in part by offering fewer choices. They try to simplify by removing items that are similar to each other.Â
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I'd guess that with 2 offerings, both Coke and Pepsi would each sell about half as much soda to Costco. Pepsi and Coke might charge Costco more per unit of volume because they only sell half as much volume. This would force Costco to raise the price.Â
 @randomuser  @hsk Pepsi and Coke are both called cola drinks, but the similarity ends there. Pepsi is one-dimensional sugary sweet, where Coke has a fuller, well-rounded flavour
When given the option, I usually pick Pepsi products over Coke. It's all a matter of personal taste.
Pepsi, Coke, all the same to me. Just don't change the combos! Those dogs are damn good! So is the pizza! And what's really nice is to top it off with those yogurts! They look like ice cream, thought it was ice cream, had no idea it was yogurt since it didn't really taste like yogurt. Very unique and I love 'em! :)
pepsi does suck, yucky, I wont buy
pepsi does suck yuck
Pepsi sucks!
It is Pepsi near me. I just leave the empty cup on the table or the condiments counter.Â