5 Major Differences Between Costco and Sam's Club Food Courts
There's so much to enjoy when shopping at a warehouse club. Bulk offerings. Can't-miss deals. Free samples. And who could forget about the beloved food courts?
Swing by Costco or Sam's Club, and you'll have access to a selection of pick-me-ups that you can enjoy before or after your shopping trip. In the mood for something sweet? Both warehouse clubs have some mouthwatering ice cream options. Craving something savory? Opt for a slice of pizza or a hot dog.
While both retail giants are similar in their food court offerings, there are some differences that set the two apart from one another. Wondering which one is better? That's for you to decide. But to help you crown your personal winner, we rounded up five key differences to keep in mind.
The food
As previously mentioned, you can enjoy soft-serve ice cream, pizza, and hot dogs at both Costco and Sam's Club's food courts. You'll also be able to score some menu items that are specific to each warehouse club.
At Costco, you can enjoy the food court's iconic Chicken Bake, a Hot Pocket-like item filled with chicken, cheese, Caesar dressing, and bacon. There's also the new Chicken & Bacon Sandwich and Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Salad. And who could forget about the Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie?
For the pizza fans, Costco offers just two options—cheese and pepperoni (RIP, combo pizza). Meanwhile, the Sam's Club food court, also known as the "Café," offers three choices: pepperoni, cheese, and four-meat, which comes topped with pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, and bacon.
Other Sam's Club-specific menu items include the soft pretzels, which are available with salt or cinnamon sugar. There's also the Pizza Pretzel, which is topped with cheese and pepperoni and served with a cup of marinara sauce for dipping.
The beverages
Need to quench your thirst after a long shopping trip? Both Sam's Club and Costco offer a selection of fountain drinks, with Costco only offering Pepsi-owned options after the retailer switched from Coke to Pepsi products back in 2013.
If you're looking for something a bit more substantial, Costco also sells its popular Berry Smoothie in addition to two frozen coffees: the Cold Brew Mocha Freeze and the Cold Brew Latte Freeze. While Sam's Club doesn't currently offer these menu items, it does sell another frozen treat you won't find at Costco: Icee drinks.
The prices
Of all the pricing discrepancies between Costco and Sam's Club, the warehouse clubs' hot dog and soda combo deals are arguably the most well-known. At Costco, customers can score a hot dog and 20-ounce soda for $1.50–a price that has remained unchanged since 1985. Before stepping down from his position as Costco's chief financial officer earlier this year, Richard Galanti reassured members that the price of this deal is "probably safe for a while."
Meanwhile, this combo is a bit cheaper at Sam's Club. In 2022, the warehouse club made headlines when it lowered the price of its famous hot dog and 30-ounce soda deal to $1.38—12 cents cheaper than the Costco offering.
The hot dogs aren't the only food court items that differ in price. Take the ice cream sundaes, for example. At Costco, you can score a vanilla or chocolate soft-serve sundae with chocolate or strawberry sauce for $2.49. However, at Sam's Club, you can enjoy the Brownie or Triple Berry Sundae for 91 cents less at just $1.58.
In terms of pizza prices, a whole 18-inch pie costs $9.95 at Costco, while a 16-inch pie is $8.98 at Sam's Club. However, the price discrepancy is negligible when ordering a slice, as one costs $1.99 at Costco at $1.98 at Sam's Club.
Ordering options
As one might expect, both Costco and Sam's Club allow shoppers to order their food and drinks in-person at the food court counters. They also each offer their own digital options. At Costco, you can place an order on a self-serve kiosk—an ordering option that the retailer first tested in 2018 and rolled out to more stores in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to She Knows.
Earlier this year, one member took to Reddit to report a change in the ordering system, noting that their food court was requiring customers to order from the kiosks, wait in line, and show the workers their receipts before they could receive their order. Before this, kiosk customers would receive an order number while the workers would get notified about the order through a kiosk printer. While multiple Reddit users reported that their warehouse club uses this system, it's unclear if this policy will be implemented across all warehouse clubs.
Meanwhile, at Sam's Club, ordering appears to be a bit simpler, since you can order within the retailer's app. To do so, open the app, select "Café," choose your food or beverage, and pay. You can then pick up your order from the Scan & Go pickup area.
Membership requirements
Costco started cracking down on non-members at its food court this year. In March, one shopper took to Reddit to share an image of a sign that read: "Effective April 8, 2024, 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."
Former CFO Richard Galanti then confirmed to Axios that Costco locations with outdoor food courts will require membership cards to make a purchase. He said this wasn't a change for locations with indoor food courts, as memberships are checked at the door.
"One of the challenges is that some of the food courts have gotten so busy, particularly if it's near some office buildings or construction sites," Galanti told the news website. "We were getting member complaints."
Historically, it appears as though enforcement of the membership policy has varied across Costco locations. But, unlike Costco, Sam's Club doesn't require you to be a member to eat at the food court. So, if you're looking to purchase a few pizza pies or satisfy your sweet tooth with a sundae, Sam's Club has you covered.
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