Costco Shoppers Roll Their Eyes At This Newly Spotted Food Court Hot Dog Combo

Costco's food court may be popular with shoppers, but it does have a fairly limited set of offerings, and changes are few and far between. Some of these changes, like discontinuing the beloved Polish sausage, are unwelcome, while others, such as introducing the new churro sundae, are met with a better reception. One change that some shoppers have been noticing over the past few months, however, falls right in the middle: Costco is finally switching things up with its best food court item, the hot dog combo.

No need to panic, the hot dog and soda combo isn't going away, nor is the price going up after all these years. It's been $1.50 since 1985 and becomes a better bargain with each passing year. What is different, however, is that you can now opt for a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water instead of the 20-ounce soda with the hot dog. While some may be excited by this new option, others don't seem too impressed with the first addition to the combo in 41 years.

The obvious benefit of the new food court option is that water is clearly a healthier choice than soda, as it has zero calories and carbs and no potentially harmful additives. Of course, some people won't appreciate this option if they generally prefer drinking soda over water.

From a financial standpoint, social media users pointed out that the water combo priced at the same $1.50 makes it less economical. Costco's food court sells standalone sodas for $0.79, while most Costcos have vending machines selling the bottled water for a quarter. An Instagram user said, "It should be $1.25 since the waters costs 25 cents lol." A Redditor, however, noted, " ... if you don't drink soda, the 'loss' of money doesn't matter." One thing that's a little concerning, however, is that a Costco shopper reported their food court removed the vending machine. If this means the only way to get that bottled water (besides buying a multipack in the store) is through the hotdog combo, this change may not be so beneficial.

The combo also only gives you one bottle of water, whereas the fountain soda is refillable. However, not everyone will stick around for a refill. Another Instagram user expressed concern about the environment, stating, "Why use more plastic when water is available in the soda dispenser?" That, too, may be a specious argument, since fountain drinks also come with single-use plastic lids and straws. Whether the bottled water is or isn't a better option depends on personal preferences.