Costco is beloved for many things: bulk-size groceries, great deals, and perhaps most famously, the $1.50 hot dog combos available at its food court. The iconic combo comes with an all-beef hot dog and 20-ounce soda and has impressively remained the same low price since it was first introduced to the chain in 1984 (although back then, it was served from a hot dog cart outside the store rather than in a food court).
Decades later, the Costco hot dog remains largely unchanged. Initially, Hebrew National supplied the dogs for the warehouse chain, but due to rising costs, Costco began making their own franks in-house. Now, people clamor to the store not just for groceries but to snag those hot dogs, too. Over the years, there have been rumors about possibly raising the price of the hot dog, but as of today, it remains the same (hallelujah!).
With such a cheap offering, especially in these days when inflation has hit us like a ton of bricks, it's no surprise that Costco sells millions of this food court favorite every year. But just how much do they actually sell?? Well, the answer is quite impressive. Below, see how many hot dogs Costco food courts sold each year over the past five years:
2020
Back in 2020 (peak pandemic era, as a reminder), the chain was reported to have sold 151 million hot dog combos. When you factor in social distancing and shut-downs, this is an impressive feat during one of the most tumultuous years in recent history.
2021
In 2021, the chain dipped a bit in sales, but still managed to sell a whopping 122 million dogs.
2022
The world began bouncing back in 2022 and hot dog combo sales reflected that. The warehouse chain sold 156 million frankfurters that year.
2023
2023 became a record-breaking year for Costco, with sales exceeding 200 million. Can you believe that?! Comparatively, baseball stadiums—which are one of the more popular dog-touting locations—sell only 22 million wieners a year. That means Costco sells almost ten times as many hot dogs as every MLB stadium combined!
2024
2024 saw another dip in sales, but the grocery store still managed to churn out a jaw-dropping 124 million dog sales.
The past five years have gone to show that there's really nothing Costco can't accomplish. I wonder how 2025 will fare...