Rejoice! Costco Is Bringing Back Samples
When the pandemic hit, it brought a lot of changes, large and small. Now, as the vaccines roll out and there appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, some of our favorite things are slowly coming back. Case in point, Costco is bringing back its iconic samples and food courts.
Costco's CFO, Richard Galanti, told CNN Business that they anticipate the triumphant return of their food courts, but warns that "it's going to take some time," as some states are still being understandably cautious and keeping safety restrictions in place.
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As those restrictions lift, Costco's indoor food courts and samples will return, although things may look a little different. The company stopped serving free food samples and shut down their food courts at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. As the pandemic rolled on, the wholesale club slowly reintroduced demos and started offering a scaled-back, take-out only menu at their food courts. For a while it was only hot dogs and pizza, then chicken made a triumphant return, followed by ice cream, smoothies, and churros. According to CNN's interview with Galanti, cooked items like breakfast sandwiches, noodle dishes, and meatballs are next.
As for samples, according to Eat This Not That, they are slowly coming back, too, which is great news for anyone used to snacking while shopping. Of course, the samples will look a little different. An Instagram post from @CostcoDeals shows the revamped sample table with tasty treats packed up in to-go bags next to a sign saying they are "carry out only," and should not be eaten inside. When it comes to free food, we will eat wherever they say.
