Costco quietly makes change to famous $1.50 hot dog combo

Nbcwashington · Apr 29, 2026 · 559 words · By Chrissy Callahan; TODAY

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What to know about Costco quietly makes change to famous $1.50 hot dog combo

Fans of Costco’s popular hot dog combo now have another drink option to choose from when they order the $1.50 meal.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left12%

Center76%

Right12%

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

What happened

Fans of Costco’s popular hot dog combo now have another drink option to choose from when they order the $1.50 meal.

Why it matters

The membership warehouse club is known for its steep discounts on household essentials, but its food court has also gained a loyal following for offering the affordable hot dog and soda combo, whose price hasn’t increased since the 1980s.

Common ground

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Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Costco quietly makes change to famous $1.50 hot dog combo?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In 2024, Galanti told Axios that Costco locations with outside food courts would begin requiring membership cards to order from its menu?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/costco-quiet-change-hot-do…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

schedule

Claim 1: “In 2024, Galanti told Axios that Costco locations with outside food courts would begin requiring membership cards to order from its menu.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “One Instagram user recently shared a screenshot of the updated menu, which includes a Hot Dog & Soda Combo and a Hot Dog & Water Combo, both for $1.50.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the introduction of the water option and the $1.50 price point, indicating the combo includes both the hot dog and the water option at the stated price.

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

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — A loss leader (also leader) is a pricing strategy where a product is sold at a price below its market cost to stimulate other sales of more profitable goods or services. With this sales promotion/mark…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_leader

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 3: “And in 2025, its food court swapped out Pepsi products for those from Coca-Cola. It had served Pepsi since 2013, when it switched from Coca-Cola after 27 years.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 4: “One Canadian customer said their local store in Toronto had already been rolling out the menu update “for several months” at the time.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the web search results discuss the water option, the specific detail that the Toronto store had been rolling out the update 'for several months' is not corroborated by other sources. The evidence is limited to the general announcement of the change.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of the east–west expressways and arterial thoroughfares in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The city is organized in a grid pattern dating back to the plan laid out by Augustus Jones …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_east–west_roads_in_Tor…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — A warehouse club (or wholesale club) is a retail store, usually selling a wide variety of merchandise, in which customers may purchase large, wholesale quantities of products, which makes these clubs …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warehouse_club

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: ““To clear up some recent media speculation, I also want to confirm the $1.50 hot dog price is safe,” Millerchip said during the chain’s Q3 2024 earnings call.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Gary Millerchip stated during the Q3 2024 earnings call that the $1.50 hot dog combo price was 'safe' to clear up media speculation.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — On May 30, Costco's newly-minted CFO Gary Millerchip said during the chain's Q3 2024 earnings call that the price of its iconic hot dog and soda combo will stay firm at $1.50 as it has since ...
https://www.today.com/food/news/costco-hot-dog-deal-price-rc…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — "To clear up some recent media speculation, I also want to confirm the $1.50 hot dog price is safe," said Millerchip, shortly after welcoming attendees to the company's Q3 earnings call.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/costco-cfo-makes-announcement…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The retailer's new finance chief Gary Millerchip is staying the course on the company's popular $1.50 hot dog and soda combo pricing.
https://www.cfodive.com/news/costcos-cfo-calls-150-hot-dogs-…

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Claim 6: “In November, one customer shared a video of herself purchasing the hot dog and water bottle combo.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results cite a specific instance where a customer shared a video of purchasing the hot dog and water bottle combo, confirming the timing and nature of the change.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to a Reddit post shared by a Costco member in Virginia, customers can pair their hot dog with a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water, instead of a soda.
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/costco-hot-dog-comb…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This may be tough for some chowhounds to swallow. Costco, a members-only warehouse club, oft-praised for its $1.50 hot dog combo, which offers shoppers the meaty treat and a 20-ounce refillable ...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/food-and-drink/beverages/costco-ma…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In November, one customer shared a video of herself purchasing the hot dog and water bottle combo.
https://www.today.com/food/news/costco-hot-dog-combo-options…

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Claim 7: “Fans of Costco’s popular hot dog combo now have another drink option to choose from when they order the $1.50 meal.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that Costco updated its hot dog combo to include a bottled water option alongside the traditional soda, indicating a new drink choice for the meal. This is reported by multiple independent news/blog sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — To view products on Costco.com, either type what you’re looking for into the Search box, or mouse over "Shop" to view our different categories. Simply click on the name or picture of an item to naviga…
https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — To search for a product online at Costco.com, enter a keyword or an item number into the search engine at the top. If the item you’re seeking is in stock and available for purchase, your search will p…
https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Find your nearest Costco warehouse location and explore helpful self-service options for customer support.
https://customerservice.costco.com/app/answers/answer_view/a…

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Claim 8: “In 2024, Costco CFO Gary Millerchip addressed concerns that the store may need to raise the combo’s price amid increasing inflation.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report that CFO Gary Millerchip addressed concerns about the combo's price amid inflation, specifically mentioning the $1.50 price point and the context of the Q3 2024 earnings call.

menu_book

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A hot dog and drink combo at Costco.Costco hot dog price comparison among countries (exchange rate accurate as of Feb 2026). Country. Meat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costco_hot_dog

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Costco’s new chief financial officer has a reassuring message for inflation-weary customers: don’t worry about the price of the $1.50 hot dog-soda combo.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/31/food/costco-hot-dog-price

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 9: “The membership warehouse club is known for its steep discounts on household essentials, but its food court has also gained a loyal following for offering the affordable hot dog and soda combo, whose price hasn’t increased since the 1980s.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the hot dog combo is a staple known for its steady price. One source mentions the combo has not changed since 1985, and another notes the price has not changed in over 40 years, corroborating the claim that the price has remained stable since the 1980s.

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

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “Recently, many customers have noticed that Costco is now offering the option to order a water bottle with a hot dog instead of a 20-ounce soda.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm that Costco is offering a bottled water option (e.g., 16.5 Kirkland's water bottle) as an alternative to the 20-ounce fountain soda for the hot dog combo.

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

schedule

Claim 11: “The same year, Costco announced it was raising customer membership fees for the first time since 2017.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 12: “Previously in 2022, Galanti said Costco had no plans of increasing the combo’s price, maybe “forever.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to support the claim that Richard Galanti stated in 2022 that Costco had no plans to increase the hot dog combo's price.

help

Claim 13: “The statement came after Millerchip’s predecessor, Richard Galanti, had suggested that the combo’s price could change, telling Bloomberg, “It’s probably safe for a while.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to support the claim regarding Richard Galanti's specific suggestion to Bloomberg about the price being 'probably safe for a while.'

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.