Costco's Japan Food Courts Have The Beloved Onion Dispenser We All Miss

Many individuals flock to Costco for the unbeatable deal of a $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, especially as prices rise and portion sizes shrink in many supermarkets and restaurants. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the beloved big box store had to temporarily suspend some of its most popular perks, including free samples and certain food court items and condiments. While free samples have thankfully made a comeback, the food court still looks slightly different from what most people remember. Some items have gone missing, and the condiment and toppings dispensers for hot dogs never made their triumphant return to U.S. Costcos, although one was reportedly spotted at a Costco in Japan.

A Reddit post appears to show that a Costco in Japan has what fans have been longing for in the States — the nifty onion crank that dispenses perfectly diced onions directly onto the hot dog. Although Costco members did witness the return of the beloved raw chopped white onions, it was not in the manner they expected. The onions are now available in pre-portioned cups upon request and are stored behind the counter, which some shoppers argue isn't quite the same.

While the onion machine has seemingly returned to Japan it is very unlikely that it will ever return to Costcos in the U.S. For one, the dispensers were not very sanitary regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous people likely touched the crank each day, then after touching it, they would proceed to eat a handheld hot dog. If they didn't all wash their hands before and after touching the machine, they were potentially spreading germs.

In addition, the removal of these self-serve topping machines was also reported to optimize operations, not just make ordering from the food court safer during the pandemic. While an uncut onion can be stored at room temperature, once cut, the potential for bacteria to grow on the surface of the onion increases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that any cut vegetable should be refrigerated within two hours after you cut it. This means that Costco employees had to keep rotating and cleaning the onion dispenser several times throughout the day. The little plastic cups are easier to maintain and present less of a risk of contamination. 

While these old-fashioned crank machines are unlikely to ever return to American Costcos, some have reportedly been testing other options. Touchless dispensers able to dispense topping with a thinner consistency than onions — ketchup, mustard, and relish for example — were spotted at a Costco in California a few years ago. Japan appears to be behind the times if these hands-free dispensers are the future of the food court.

Customers who have tried them, though, complain that they clog and don't work as seamlessly as they are supposed to. Plus, they would never work with chopped onions. So, while the condiments are slowly returning to the food court in potentially new and inventive ways, shoppers are unlikely to see the beloved crank machine in the United States again. A discarded old-school Costco dispenser found at a thrift store appears to strengthen the position that these devices are a thing of the past.