10 Costco Food Court Secrets Only Employees Know About (Part 2)

The Costco

food

court

is the most affordable and convenient place to grab some

food

after shopping; After all, their motto is "Simplifying home and life." Not

only

does it manage to provide you with cheap food, but it also makes a profit. Here are 10 Costco food

court

secrets

only

employees

know

. Costco makes its own Hot Dogs They say Costco's food court is not a gold mine. It only makes a small profit annually from food sales because there has been relatively no price increase in the last 30 years. Since its debut in 1985, Costco has been selling its hot dog and soda combo for $1.50 and the pizza combo for just $1.99.

Meanwhile, hot dogs are 10% larger and soft drinks have also increased in size, with free refills to boot. A fantastic deal, you might say! Nobody offers you something like that nowadays. How they did it? Aside from the fact that Costco sells more than 100 million hot dogs a year, which is four times more than any stadium sells in a season, the low price is one of the reasons it is so popular and Costco relies on this fact. Did you

know

that the chain does everything in its power to keep prices low? In 2013, they switched to selling Pepsi products after Coca-Cola raised their prices, and in 2009, they switched from Hebrew National to making their own Kirkland Signature Brand hot dogs to avoid raising prices as well.

Employees disagree when it comes to saying that Costco doesn't make a profit, no matter how small, with 128 million hot dogs sold each year, which equates to a whopping $192 million in revenue. Plus, all those happy shoppers wander around the store after a cheap lunch and buy lots of other things that the company will make money from. The largest pizza chain Costco is known for many wonderful things, but one would never imagine that it is also known for being one of the top pizza chains. With around 400 locations located in the US alone, and only a few of those actually selling pizza, it is ranked as the 14th largest pizza chain in the United States.

It's also one of the cheapest among all other pizza chains, costing $1.99 per slice or a full pizza for $9.99. It has been reported that Costco, compared to Pizza Hut or Domino's, has some pretty impressive statistics for a warehouse store. They may be lacking in options and variations, but Costco's food court pizzas are available in three of the most popular options. Simple pizza that comes topped with 1 pound of mixed mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, pepperoni and a combination topped with vegetables. You have the option of purchasing a slice or an entire pizza that measures 16 inches in diameter. The pizzas are excellent for the price, they claim to be perfectly cooked, with lots of cheese and a crispy crust.

Costco works hard to make sure their pizza is practically perfect every time. Order Ahead/Takeout Here are a few more

secrets

and tips you may not know when ordering pizza from the Costco food court. As one of the largest pizza chains, it also offers some of the same services as other pizza franchises. Did you know you can call to place your order in advance? You can't order online yet, but you can pick them up at the food court whether you're shopping there or not. Costco prefers the latter, as the food court is a benefit for those with memberships, but they will allow non-members as well.

But don't call during peak hours. Unfortunately, the downside is that they don't deliver, so you'll have to get off the couch and go pick it up yourself. Let's hope the nearest Costco isn't miles away. It may not be the perfect setting for some, but it's great if you're nearby or frequently shop at Costco. It's probably cheaper than other local pizza places, unless they have a two for one deal. If your choice is to eat at the food court and you don't finish your pizza, you can always order a takeout box and take the rest home for later.

A bit of weird trivia: Do you know exactly how many slices of pepperoni are on top of a pepperoni pizza at Costco? According to Costco Connection, all pepperoni pizzas are topped with 60 slices of "American-made" pepperoni—not one more, not one less, even if you order it. Magical Mystery Robot There's a method to Costco's madness when it comes to making pizza. Have you ever wondered why Costco pizzas always meet the sauce to cheese ratio? It's because they've got pizza making down to a science with a little help from a pizza robot that ensures their pizzas are perfect every time.

The hypnotic pizza robot evenly distributes a delicious layer of sauce over each pizza. The pizza robot is truly fascinating to watch, it will put you in such a trance that it will have you craving a slice within minutes. They first make sure the dough has risen completely and then press it into perfectly uniform shaped cakes. After that, they add the sauce, your favorite toppings, and freshly grated cheese. They are baked in a 600 degree oven that cooks the pizzas evenly in just 6 minutes. That makes a lot of cakes! Pizza that is not sold within an hour is replaced with another fresh from the oven.

Costco has streamlined their pizza process to make it as efficient and profitable as possible and they never skimp on ingredients. Everything is measured to a standard and you will always have a perfectly delicious pizza. Pay n Go Everyone loves the food court, especially because the food is so cheap and you don't want to miss out on another deal. But you can see that the lines are long and there are a couple of empty tables in the food court. You are tired and don't feel like standing in line waiting for food. What do you do for a living!

Coming home and cooking is not an option, it's late, you're tired and you also have groceries to unpack when you get home. Think strategically! Is the easiest way to skip the line at the food court to add it to your account while you're at the register at checkout? Just ask the cashier politely, then go to the express line at the food court, show your receipt and your food will be ready in seconds. Of course, you have to buy items at the store for this trick to work, but you'll always need something from Costco. Another way to avoid lines is to use digital kiosks to complete your order.

If you have these machines at your local food court, simply tap what you want, pay by card, and head to the pickup window. Food is fresher with lines You won't have to wait too long to get your food at the Costco food court, after all, it is fast food. The queues are a different story and can sometimes be incredibly long, as well as quite daunting, especially during peak shopping hours. One of the best things about lineups is that you know food is flying off the shelves quickly. Therefore your food will be freshly made. So don't head out the door before eating something, because the result will outweigh the disadvantages.

If you leave, you will not only miss out on a good opportunity to pay very low prices for the same thing elsewhere, but you will also miss out on better quality food. According to Costco

employees

, the food is freshest at peak times during lunch and dinner due to high turnover. When there are a lot of people, those pizzas fly out of the oven in no time. The food is not dried under heat lamps, although they change the pizzas every hour. But in case you get to the 1/2 hour mark, the pizza has had enough time to sit there and get really oily from all that cheese.

The same goes for hot dogs or other menu items. They prepare more hot dogs during peak hours, estimating that they will have more customers. They have everything set up and ready to go in seconds. Quick service is the highlight of the experience, and lunchtime is always a safe bet." As one Costco food court employee said, "when the lines are long, the churros are good." The employees are fans of big food courts. You know a place is good when the employees attest to it. Costco employees are the biggest fans of food courts. They should know, they work and eat there every day, so who have great insider advice.

They know what's good and what's too much. One of the most popular items in the food court among store employees is pizza. One store employee swore on social media that he eats there more than he should. He thinks "the pizza dough is delicious, the ingredients are good quality" and after eating a slice of pizza, he opts for his second favorite, the pistachio ice cream. Other employees prefer the pizza of pepperoni, due to its crunchy pepperoni and cheesy consistency. Most employees prefer to eat there after work than anywhere else. They know what's in the food and trust the quality of Costco products.

Costco employees asked what their favorite Costco food court was and most responded that pizza was by far the winner and the most popular, with hot dogs in second place. Another popular food court contender among employees was the $1.50 berry smoothie. Everyone thought it was a good healthy option, especially for breakfast. Nutritional Information By now we all know that most food courts do not usually offer very healthy food options. Costco is no exception, although its products in the store leave a good impression, in the food court the exact opposite can be said. If you are concerned about what happens to your slim and fit body and are a fan of daily healthy eating, you can request a list of nutritional information about menu items at the food court.

This way, you can evaluate what would be a healthier food alternative for you. Although it must be said, Costco's food court has few options for those who eat healthy. You have some options, although limited, even their chicken Caesar salad is high in calories. Acai bowls or fruit smoothies may seem boring, but they can work. Don't worry, a cheat day won't kill you. If you're really worried about the damage it will cause, ask for nutrition facts sheets. Employees have them available in the food court and keep them under the counter. They may not like you doing this at peak times, but they are available if needed.

Rotating Menu Items Depending on the location of your Costco, the food court will have an open spot on their menu for a rotating menu item. This means that while all the main items you expect to find at the Costco food court will always be there, you're also likely to find a new menu item when you visit the Costco food court. Of course, menu changes are based on local tastes and are not exactly the same from region to region and in other countries. So yeah, don't worry, you'll always find menu favorites like Chicken Bake, Acai Bowls, Pizza, Berry Smoothies, Hot Dogs, Moche Latte Freeze, Chicken Caesar Salads and Churros to name a few.

But you'll also find a rotating menu item that always changes. These include things like turkey wraps, baked roast beef, spicy turkey and provolone, and barbecue beef brisket sandwiches. When you see one of these on the menu, be sure to pick it up as they are only available while supplies last and may be replaced by another rotating menu item the next time you visit your local Costco food court. The secret to baked chicken is Caesar dressing. Costco shoppers and employees love the baked chickens sold in the Costco food court. A cross between a calzone or pocket pizza and a chicken Caesar salad, these tender bites are a big fan favorite.

Exclusive to Costco, they are quite addictive. Costco's chef's secret, besides making it from scratch every day, is their secret Caesar sauce. They use the same pizza dough for their pizzas, but cover the top with Caesar dressing instead of tomato sauce, then add grilled and sliced ​​chicken breasts, mozzarella, bacon, and onion. Then they roll them up, cover them with a little more Caesar dressing and grated Parmesan cheese, and pop them in the oven to bake, not fry. The Caesar dressing gives it that salty and creamy touch that oozes goodness. It is the same dressing used for chicken Caesar salad.

You can order a pack if you want extra sauce. Baked chicken pot pies at the food court are much better than frozen ones from the store, but if you want to try making them yourself, you can find the recipe online. Find more great videos right here. Just tap that screen. Are you new to our channel and don't want to miss it? Then show us some love and hit the subscribe button and ring the bell to join our notifications team.