Are Costco Samplers Able To Try Their Own Wares?

Costco's free samples are, dare we say, a cultural phenomenon. Because while Insider reports that Costco's free-of-charge eats have indeed brought up its revenue by a startling 2,000% in the past, some people actually claim that their idea of a perfect weekend date is sampling free cookies at the big box retailer. And that's not where the free sampling madness ends. According to The Sun, other diehard Costco members have even taken to going out for dinner at the chain by getting their fill of its complimentary beverages and snacks. But as much as frequent bulk buyers may enjoy savoring Costco's free samples, shoppers couldn't eat these freebie treats without the brave men and women cooking, platting, and handing them out.

However, while Southern Living reports that Costco's members are able to partake in as much free sample food as they can possibly stomach, are the samplers able to savor the goods they give out to eternally thankful customers? The answer is a little bit complicated.

Samplers know the ins and outs of Costco's free food empire. For example, Southern Living reports some dutiful employees explained that the weekend is ideal time to grab the most Costco free samples. However, while samplers can, in fact, also get familiar with the taste of the mini cheeses they serve by trying them out for themselves, they can only do so under certain restrictions. And the protocols on how and when samplers can taste test their food seems to vary by store.

According to Reader's Digest, one employee revealed in a Reddit forum that they could, in fact, take a bite out of their Costco treasures. However, the sampler reported they could only enjoy the free food when they were off the clock, usually on their break. The employee stated that at their Costco location, snacking on a sample of the chain's famous pumpkin pie during their shift could put their job at risk.

However, another sampler who posted an ask me anything thread on Reddit explained their store does let them savor the goods on the clock. But their location has some pretty strict protocols for employees who want to dig into their freebie cheesecake bites.

So what's the code this Redditor revealed employees had to follow at their store to try out some free unicorn popcorn? The Costco sampler stated that, first, associates have to go to the side of the stand — presumably so customers can't see them savoring their treats. Then, after finally tasting their samples, they have to change out their gloves to keep things sanitary for when they start handing out the food to customers again.

As you can imagine, the Redditor noted that eating as fast as you can without being caught routine takes up a lot of an employee's shift time. So because of that, the sampler noted that while they can, in fact, try out their food for themselves, they typically don't take a bite out of all the free samples they serve. We're glad to know that the hard-working samplers at Costco do have the option of trying out the food that is the highlight of so many customers' days.