Costco's Pizza Making Robot Is Absolutely Mesmerizing
Costco might be best known for its bulk buys and generous free samples, but customers also give high praise to its food court. Among tasty selections like hot dogs and soft-serve, the chain also offers pizza to hungry shoppers. Costco offers plain and pepperoni pizza by the slice or as a whole 18-inch pie.
Because pizza is such a popular selection at the food court, the chain goes to great lengths to pump out as many as possible on a daily basis. That's why food court staff relies on advanced technology in the form of a pizza robot that performs a crucial step in the preparation process. A measured amount of pizza sauce is added to the robot, which automatically delivers a uniform layer across the dough. Along with ensuring that the sauce is evenly distributed over the pie, Costco's pizza robot also makes certain that the sauce goes to the very edge of the dough.
If this process sounds impressive, imagine how exciting it is to see the Costco pizza robot in action. Fortunately, a few TikTok users have peeked behind the curtain to give fans a glimpse.
Costco spares no expense with its pizza
Costco must know that its customers are totally enamored with the store's pizza robot. In fact, many locations feature a glass partition around the food court that allows shoppers to see their orders being made. In a video shared on TikTok, a customer marvels at the pizza robot as it expels sauce from a faucet-like fixture hovering above the dough. The dough rests on a spinning pedestal, while the overhead nozzle moves to ensure all sections of the pizza are covered.
@mikeayesh28 So I guess you can’t request extra sauce#costcocostcobuysCostcopizza#pizza
In a caption, the user states the chain's innovative pizza machine costs $7,000, which Costco happily pays to ensure customer satisfaction. While this figure can't be verified, PMQ Pizza Media reports on a similar "pizza assembly system" that costs dining establishments between $3,500 and $5,000.
Regardless of the exact price Costco pays for their pizza machine, it's clear these devices don't come cheap. But shoppers continue to derive joy from watching a robot make their pizza.
Getting the sauce onto the pizza robot
The pizza robot is a bonafide celebrity at multiple Costco locations — according to TikTok, at least. One video clip shows the pizza machine from a different angle as a staff member loads fresh dough onto the pedestal. While the person capturing the footage expresses admiration about how easy the process is, they also included a caption wondering whether it's possible to get extra sauce. Commenters also join in with criticisms of the pizza machine, such as concerns about the amount of sauce added to the dough. One person even questions whether the pizza robot takes longer than adding sauce by hand.
This brings up a salient point regarding Costco pizza. While tasty, convenient, and affordable, Costco's pizza doesn't offer much when it comes to variation. Consider that the chain used to offer a combo pizza, similar to the "supreme" pizza options at other chains. However, this selection has been discontinued since 2020, with no signs of returning. Here's hoping the efficiency of the pizza robot translates to more topping selections at Costco.