Costco food court brings back a beloved item

Core Insights - Costco's food court menu is known for its stability, featuring items like pizza, sandwiches, and the iconic $1.50 hot dog deal, which serves as a "loss leader" to attract customers and enhance membership value [1][2] Group 1: Food Court Strategy - The food court is a strategic element that drives customer traffic, builds loyalty, and keeps shoppers engaged, with low prices signaling a customer-first approach [2] - Costco compensates for losses on food court items by slightly increasing prices on other products, encouraging customers to explore the store longer [2] Group 2: Menu Changes and Customer Reactions - Changes to the food court menu are significant and often controversial, as seen with the return of churros, which has received mixed reactions from members [3][4] - The churro was removed from the menu in early 2024, replaced by a chocolate chunk cookie, which disappointed many customers [4][9] Group 3: New Churro Offering - Costco has reintroduced churros in the form of a $2.99 Caramel Churro Sundae, which includes soft-serve ice cream and mini churro bites, replacing the seasonal mint sundae [6] - The new sundae contains 850 calories, reflecting a shift in the food court offerings [7]