Costco got rid of a menu item customers hated — but they’re not happy about what replaced it either: ‘What the eff?’

Nypost · May 12, 2026 · 503 words · By Brooke Steinberg

Value for Money Consumer Dissatisfaction Health and Nutrition

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Costco got rid of a menu item customers hated — but they’re not happy about what replaced it either: ‘What the eff?’ Costco is reportedly getting rid of one of its most maligned food court items — replacing it with something just as bad, customers say.

Claims checked 7

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

When Costco discontinued the fan-favorite combo pizza at the food court, it was replaced with a combo calzone, which was met with disappointment from shoppers.

Common ground

Now, the warehouse giant is listening to the complaints — but replacing them with something else entirely rather than bringing back the combo pizza.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Value for Money story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that When Costco discontinued the fan-favorite combo pizza at the food court, it was replaced with a combo calzone?
How does this story connect Value for Money with Consumer Dissatisfaction over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/lifestyle/costco-food-court-customers-complain-aft…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 3

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Claim 1: “When Costco discontinued the fan-favorite combo pizza at the food court, it was replaced with a combo calzone”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that the combo pizza was replaced by a combo calzone featuring similar ingredients (pepperoni, sausage, etc.).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Costco Food Court Launches New Combo Calzones. Instead of bringing back the Combo Pizza in its full glory, Costco decided to fold it. Yep, meet the Combo Calzone. The new menu item has all the classic…
https://www.allrecipes.com/costco-food-court-combo-calzone-1…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — At one point, Costco offered a combo pizza in the food court - it was later replaced by the combo calzone with pepperoni, sausage, peppers and onions. Reviews were mixed, especially from customers cra…
https://www.dailymail.com/yourmoney/article-15801979/costco-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This new food court calzone is filled with pepperoni, sausage, cheese, onions, peppers, olives, and mushrooms.It's the combo pizza!" a Costco subredditor notes. "We kept asking for it and it looks lik…
https://www.southernliving.com/costco-food-court-combo-calzo…

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Claim 2: “the new menu item has already started to pop up at warehouses in the Chicago area”

CORROBORATED

Web results specifically mention that the new chicken strips have been reported by shoppers at select locations in Illinois (Chicago area).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mar 6, 2026 · Looking to join Costco? Here’s the best way to save on a Costco membership, how deals work, and what to know before choosing Gold Star or Executive.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/shopping/deals/retailers/cost…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 5, 2025 · From bulk groceries to electronics, discover the best things to buy at Costco in 2024. Maximize your membership with our expert shopping guide.
https://camillestyles.com/food/what-to-buy-at-costco-review/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find top-quality grocery and household items at Costco. Enjoy bulk savings on food, beverages, cleaning products, and everyday essentials.
https://www.costco.com/grocery-household.html

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Claim 3: “The chicken strips cost $6.99 and include five baked chicken tenders with a honey mustard-style dipping sauce”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the price of $6.99 and the quantity of five breaded chicken strips with dipping sauce.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — James D. Sinegal (born January 1, 1936) is an American businessman, co-founder and former CEO of the Costco Wholesale Corporation, an international retail chain. He served as Costco's president and CE…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Sinegal

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Costco Wholesale Corporation, trading as Costco, is an American multinational corporation that operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costco

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Costco hot dog is a 1⁄4-pound (110-gram) hot dog sold at the international warehouse club Costco's food courts. It is notable for its steady price and cult following as a combo deal with a soda at…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costco_hot_dog

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 4: “Costco warehouses in Canada sell four chicken strips and fries for $6.99 CAD”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of general Costco homepages and unrelated Wikipedia entries about Canada; no specific mention of a $6.99 CAD chicken strip and fries meal in Canada is present in the evidence.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in Canada, as well as events that are scheduled or predicted to take place during the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_Canada

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Foreign ownership of companies of Canada pertains to the majority-ownership of Canadian-based assets (including businesses and subsidiaries) by non-Canadian individuals or companies, as well as to com…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_ownership_of_companies…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Saskatchewan Blizzard of 2007 was a winter storm that struck northeastern British Columbia, central Alberta and central Saskatchewan on Wednesday, January 10, 2007. The storm hit the city of Saska…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan_blizzard_of_2007

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “It appears Costco is replacing the combo calzone with chicken strips”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources report that Costco is testing or implementing the replacement of the calzone with chicken strips in select locations.

travel_explore

verified

Claim 6: “Chick-fil-A’s 10-piece Chick-n-Strips order is 1,020 calories total”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Chick-fil-A sources are provided, they mention a 3-piece order (310 calories) but do not explicitly state the total calorie count for a 10-piece order in the provided text snippets.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. is an American multinational chain of Southern fried chicken restaurants founded in 1972 in New Orleans and headquartered in Miami. It is currently a subsidiary of Toro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeyes

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Runza Restaurant (formerly called Runza Drive-Inn and Runza Hut) is an American fast food restaurant chain in the Midwestern United States whose flagship menu item is the runza sandwich.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runza_(restaurant)

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Village District (formerly Cameron Village), was the first planned community to be developed in Raleigh, North Carolina. Development was started in 1947 when J.W. York and R.A Bryan bought 158 acres (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_District

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 7: “Each order contains a whipping 1,640 calories for just five chicken strips”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions of the word 'order' and general Wikipedia entries for Costco and social media personalities; no nutritional data for the chicken strips was provided in the evidence.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Andrew "A.J." Befumo Jr. (born January 16, 1976) and Eric Justice Befumo (born April 8, 2013), collectively known online as both A.J. & Big Justice and the Costco Guys, are American social media perso…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._&_Big_Justice

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.