Costco Is Reportedly Changing Its Food Court Rules For Non-Members

If you don't have a Costco membership, your days of nomming on cheap hot dogs, pizza, and churros are limited. According to a new report, Costco's food court will reportedly only serve members in just a few weeks — so I'd take full advantage of wallet-friendly food runs while you still can. Elite Daily reached out to Costco for confirmation of the reports, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

It's no secret the Costco food court has its share of fans, from Julia Child to yours truly. With incredible deals like pizza slices for just $1.99 and a hot dog and soda combo for just $1.50, the company's food offerings are low-key one of the best parts about making a Costco run. Not only can you get a meal that barely makes a dent in your wallet, but all of the offerings are pretty delicious. The best part? You don't have to be a Costco member and pay the $60 yearly membership fee to get in on these tasty offerings.

So, when Instagram account @CostcoDeals took to the social media platform to share a photo of a sign seeming to confirm that the company was changing its policy and banning non-members from eating at the food court, hundreds of Costco food court fans took to the comments section to air their thoughts on the update.

The sign reads, "Effective March 16, 2020, an active Costco membership card will be required to purchase items from our food court. You can join today. Please see our membership counter for details."

Reviews over the change were mixed, with several users saying the low-cost food and drink options were great for people who couldn't afford anything else. Others said that the change made sense considering that customers are required to be members to use some of the chain's other services like its gas stations. Some commenters said that their local Costcos already had the policy in place.

Instagram user @CostcoDeals later revealed Costco had apparently confirmed the change, but it's unclear whether the official brand or employees provided that information. The IG account shared, "To us it makes complete sense! Not sure why it’s taken Costco so long to implement...I mean you have to have a membership for gas...."

The change will be reportedly take effect at locations nationwide starting on March 16. So, it's probably best for non-members to take advantage of the company's cheap eats while they still can — and consider forking over the $60 for a yearly membership if they plan to keep going to the food court.