The most famous thing at Costco might just be its hot dog combo, and for the first time in decades, it is changing up the combo by giving members a new beverage choice: bottled water. That seems like a great addition, but if rumors on social media are true, it may mean a big tradeoff that Costco hasn’t announced.
What’s Changing About the Hot Dog Combo?
The hot dog combo is infamous for good reason. You get a big old hot dog and a fountain drink (“with refill”!) for a buck and a half, making it a way better deal than you can get in any drive-thru. Jim Sinegal, the company’s co-founder, once even told the former CEO, “If you raise [the price of] the effing hot dog, I will kill you.” That’s serious dedication.
It hasn’t changed — in price or otherwise — in decades, but now Costco is offering bottled water as an alternative to fountain drinks. And thankfully, the price will continue to be $1.50, whether you choose soda or bottled water.
It’s a welcome addition to the menu for some people who don’t like soda or can’t drink it. Until now, those members would have to give the soda cup away or just skip the drink altogether, making the $1.50 deal, well, not as great a deal. Plus, there is definitely a benefit to having a drink with a leak-proof cap while your toddler is grabbing everything in sight and you’re trying to avoid playing bumper carts with oblivious shoppers.
…But Water Is Only 25 Cents in the Vending Machine
If you’re wondering about that cheap 25-cent bottled water vending machine, you’re not the only one. Most Costcos have one, and all it sells is the company’s own bottles of water for a quarter each. A fountain drink on its own costs 69 cents, so it seems like people who choose the soda in their hot dog combo are getting a better deal.
We could live with that, frankly, since it’s still only $1.50. We’re not going to quibble over 44 cents. But there are rumors on Reddit that this cafe change is actually leading Costco to remove the cheap water bottle vending machine. That’s a change that would affect many more people than just hot dog buyers.
“They got rid of the vending machines at my Costco,” said one Redditor in a thread about the hot dog combo change. “You have to order at the kiosk now.”
“My Costco took away the vending machine with 25-cent water after doing this, so that sucks,” reported another Redditor. “Other than that, good idea.”
Yet another Costco member chimed in. “They did this by removing the water vending machines. Now, if you want a $0.25 water, you have to pay the deli counter, and wait 20 minutes because they understaff the hell out of the deli.”
While there’s no official report of whether the bottled water costs more than 25 cents at the cafe, it does make the process of grabbing a bottle much more onerous than it was with a vending machine, no matter the price. There are often lines at the ordering kiosks, and there may be many orders ahead of you before you get your single bottle. We’re guessing that if the rumors are true and Costco is ditching the water vending machines, they’ll probably sell less water through the cafe.
Have you been to Costco’s cafe lately, and did you see the water vending machine? Let us know in the comments.
We have reached out to Costco for comment, but have not heard back by the time of publication. We will update the story if we do.
