Some Costco customers are up in arms over a new menu item.
The store's reasonably priced food court menu is a huge draw, with its renowned $1.50 hot dog combo -- but a brand-new item at multiple stores in Washington has people confused.
The new roast beef sandwich is priced at $9.99, which people were quick to point out almost the same price as two of the store's whole rotisserie chickens or a whole pizza. For that price, you could get six of the hot dog combos and still have a dollar to spare.
The sandwich features sliced roast beef, onion relish, mayo/mustard blend, lettuce, roasted cherry tomatoes and red onions on an artisan roll.
News of the sandwich went viral after someone posted a picture of the new menu item from a Costco location in Lynnwood to Reddit. The post gained nearly 600 comments, many from people who couldn't believe the sandwich's price.
"$10 for a single-serve, individual item doesn't seem to fit in well with the rest of their lineup. I would expect this to be a poor seller and get scratched from the lineup quickly," one person commented.
"It looks good but not 'trade it for an entire pizza' good," another person said.
"No thanks, for $10 I'll go to Arby's and get some curly fries at least with my roast beef," one person said.
"A rotisserie chicken, a slice of pizza, and a hot dog with a drink combined are still cheaper than that sandwich. Hard pass," another person commented.
Another user on Twitter found the sandwich at a Costco location in Kirkland. Brian DeLuca wrote that he was "surprised" at the price of the sandwich, but ordered it anyway to see what the hype was about.
DeLuca's post shows a photo of the sandwich, large enough that it's hanging off a paper plate.
It wasn't immediately clear if the sandwich is just being tested in Washington or if the retail chain has any intentions to roll the offering out at other locations.
While the price of the sandwich is turning heads, one thing Costco food court lovers can count on is the price on its famous hot dog combo staying at $1.50 "forever."
When CEO W. Craig Jelinek complained in 2018 that the combo — which has cost $1.50 since it was added to the menu in 1985 — was losing the company money, the store's founder James Sinegal sternly warned: "'If you raise the [price of the] effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.'"
Last year, CFO Richard Galanti doubled down and said the price of the all-beef frank would stay at the same place it's been for nearly 40 years "forever."
The same can't be said for other menu items. Over the summer, the retail giant raised the price of its famous Chicken Bake and fountain soda as a result of inflation.
The Chicken Bake -- which features chicken breast strips, mozzarella, provolone and parmesan cheeses, smoky bacon, creamy Caesar dressing and green onions in a hand-rolled crust -- now costs $3.99, an increase of $1.
A 20-ounce soft drink, the store serves Pepsi products, now costs 59 cents, up 10 cents.
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