Costco Is Expanding a New Food Court Feature—and Customers Aren't Happy
A cherished tradition among many Costco members is sitting down to enjoy a quick yet tasty meal from the retailer's food courts before or after a shopping trip. However, in the future, some shoppers may find it harder to snag a seat as the company expands a controversial new "upgrade."
A Costco shopper took to Reddit this week to share that their local warehouse in Visalia, Calif., had replaced some of the classic seated food court tables with new standing tables.
"They have five standing tables and about a dozen of the regular tables. They did get rid of some of the regular tables to make room for these," the shopper wrote. They added that they weren't sure exactly how recently the change took place as they hadn't visited Costco for "a while."
This isn't the first Costco food court to make such a change. Customers have also reported spotting the new standing tables in warehouses in New Jersey, Minnesota, Montana, South Korea, Japan, and Canada—and many aren't happy with the change. Shoppers' displeasure with the standing tables was especially clear in the new Reddit discussion about the Visalia warehouse.
"Those are the worst. No one at our warehouse uses them and they just collect empty cups and napkins. 0/10 wouldn't recommend," a Costco shopper commented
"Nope—immediate dislike of this development," another wrote.
A common shopper grievance with the tables is that they'd much prefer to sit while enjoying their food, especially after a tiring shopping trip. In the past, customers have also worried about how the change would impact elderly people, children, and those with disabilities who may not be able to eat comfortably at the tables.
The shopper reports indicate that Costco isn't completely eliminating seated tables at food courts receiving the standing tables—at least in the United States. However, the reduction in the number of seated tables at these food courts could potentially make it harder for people who prefer or need a seat to get one.
"Maybe it's just me, but I like being able to relax my feet for a few minutes and eat a hot dog after spending an hour walking up and down aisles," a Redditor lamented.
That's not to say that all Costco shoppers are against the switch. Some Redditors even praised the change and said they hoped the standing tables would prevent their fellow members from lingering in the crowded food courts for too long.
"I think it's a good idea. Otherwise, people take a really long time to leave, causing cart traffic just trying to exit," a commenter wrote.
But despite these defenders, the critics are still adamant about their dislike for the new food court feature.
"These are horrible," one Redditor said of the standing tables.
Costco did not immediately respond to our queries for comment on the reasons behind the change, the shopper backlash, and whether more food courts are slate to receive the standing tables in the future.
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