The Discontinued Costco Pretzel We're Dying To See Back In The Food Court

Becoming a Costco member has plenty of perks: Bulk shopping at low prices, saving on Kirkland brand gas, and even free samples of inventory while you walk around the warehouse. The ever-forgiving return policy alone is enough to tempt even the most hesitant shopper into snagging a gold-star membership. But one of the biggest reasons to maintain your Costco membership is for access to the food court.

No matter when you make your grocery run, you'll likely have to wait in a line to get your hands on a Kirkland hot dog and soft drink for just $1.50. The popular destination for cheap, high-quality bites is so beloved that Costco recently had to crack down on non-members eating at the food court. While many shoppers have no notes about the food court's menu, others remember when Costco offered more unique options like a soft cinnamon sugar pretzel. The soft pretzel option at Costco food courts was thick, soft, and sugary, with a dusting of both cinnamon and powdered sugar. Sadly, the item was removed over a decade ago, making way for the cinnamon churro, which has also since been retired from many of Costco's locations, according to Fox 11. While it may be a distant memory, we wish Costco would bring back a soft pretzel option so a new generation of members could try it for themselves.

Enjoying a sweet, cinnamon-dusted soft pretzel after a long day of pushing around a large metal cart at Costco sounds like the perfect post-shopping treat. Many long-time Costco members agree, although memories of the pretzel once offered at food courts are a bit hazy for some. A Reddit user on the r/Costco thread inquired about the possibility of hot pretzels in the food courts. One commenter remembered that food courts "used to have soft pretzels," claiming, "Those were the days." Another user even recalled a salted pretzel option, writing, "I miss the soft pretzels! My location offered them (with or) without salt too, which I loved as a kid ... I wish they'd bring them back."

According to the memories of multiple Redditors in the thread, Costco apparently traded out the soft pretzels for the churros years ago. Recently, the food court churros suffered the same fate and were replaced by a huge Costco chocolate chip cookie. If you are wondering whether or not the once-beloved pretzel could make a comeback, chances are slim. While Costco food courts have had quite a few changes since its first hot dog stand back in 1984, the company generally doesn't return items to food court menus after they have been removed.

While classic options like the $1.50 hot dog combo and Kirkland brand pizza slices are mainstays at Costco food courts, not every item has a guaranteed spot. Costco doesn't make a habit of drastic alterations to food court menus as often as other fast food service places, but the company has been known to add and remove items over the years — whether or not fans are happy about it.

In recent years, Costco tried introducing items like chocolate chip cookies, a mango smoothie, and a rather expensive roast beef sandwich to menus, all of which received little love from members. Probably their most controversial change in recent years was to remove the combo pizza slice over "profit and cost concerns" during the pandemic. This led to an outcry from fans who started a Change.org petition that earned over 18,000 signatures. While Costco debuted a frozen pizza version of the combo pizza available in stores, the slice has still not reappeared at food courts, leaving very little hope that a decades-old soft pretzel option could reappear.

For now, if you are craving a soft pretzel after your shopping trip, you'll most likely have to shop at Sam's Club, where the food court offers salted, cinnamon sugar, and pizza-flavored options to its members. For pretzel lovers, this option may push Sam's Club above Costco in the ongoing battle for the best food court.