Hot dog-loving Costco shoppers have found themselves on edge once again. The food court frenzy began when an Instagram post from @firstwefeast about the fate of the $1.50 hot dog combo went viral.
"Costco's CFO Retiring, Could Be The End To The $1.50 Hot Dog Deal," read text placed over an image of the Costco food court. The caption accompanying the post went on to say that Gary Millerchip, who is the current CFO of the warehouse and former CFO of Kroger, is allegedly notorious for raising prices.
Costco-goers sounded off in the comments, with one person stating that a price increase could be the "tipping point" for some customers.
"A price adjustment to the food court will be the tipping point that sends the masses scrambling in a manner that will make the French Revolution look like tea time in a geriatric ward," they warned.
Even Samuel Adams beer chimed in, writing "Not to be dramatic but I will RIOT UNTIL I DIE."
Before you ready yourself for one last hot dog binge, there are a few things you should know.
Millerchip has been CFO of Costco for nearly a year now, and in that time, the price of the hot dog combo has remained the same. Additionally, the exec has informed fans that he has no plans to change the cost of the popular menu item.
“To clear up some recent media speculation, I also want to confirm the $1.50 hot dog price is safe,” Millerchip told CNN last year.
Concern about Millerchip raising prices first surfaced in early 2024 when The Wall Street Journal reported that Richard Galanti, Costco's Chief Financial Officer, would be stepping down from his role on March 15. Galanti served as CEO of the store for nearly 40 years. Following news of the leadership shakeup, a Reddit thread surfaced online, drawing nearly 800 comments from concerned shoppers.
"I have a bad feeling about this," said one user who captured the grim tone of the comments section. Overall, the majority of users seemed to be concerned about the potential for price increases at the warehouse.
"'I'm here to increase prices and take away perks' [has] been the trend for the past decade, and don't see it stopping anytime soon," one person wrote.
Kroger, Millerchip's former place of employment, wasn't spared.
"Kroger has been garbage for a while. This isn't a good sign for Costco," said one person. "Kroger and Costco don't even belong in the same sentence together. It’s all downhill from here," added another
A number of commenters expressed concern over the future of Costco's beloved $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.
"I won't mince words and waste time. He better not fk with the hot dogs," one user wrote. "The hotdog will be the canary," another said.
The price of the hot dog and soda combo has been the same since the 1980s, so a price increase would be the first in decades. But it really seems to be nothing more than an unfounded rumor at this point. Good thing, because it goes without saying that an increase would send Costco shoppers into an absolute frenzy.
