Costco has finally brought back its iconic churro, but not in the way loyal customers had hoped. Instead of reviving the beloved twisted treat, which was axed from menus earlier in 2024, the warehouse giant has introduced a $2.99 caramel churro sundae topped with bite-sized pieces of churro.
Fan Disappointment Over Churro Bites
The new dessert features vanilla soft serve drizzled with salted caramel sauce and sprinkled with what Costco is calling 'churro bites'—a chopped-up version of the original. This move has sparked frustration among fans who were eagerly awaiting the return of the full churro.
'This is such a slap in the face to give us churro bites and no actual churros,' one frustrated customer wrote online. Another added: 'They’re doing everything except bringing back the churro.'
A Household Grievance
One parent even joked that the disappearance had become a running grievance in their household. 'One of my kids is 6 and every few months he just yells, 'why did they get rid of the churros!?' It was like his first great betrayal of life and it really stuck with him,' one Reddit user said.
History of the Costco Churro
The $1 fan-favorite churro first debuted in the 1900s but was pulled from food court menus at the start of the pandemic. Churros were briefly brought back at $1.49, only to be axed again in 2024. In its place, as the main sweet option in food courts, was a 750-calorie chocolate chip cookie, which received mixed reviews from customers.
Now, instead of restoring the fan favorite, Costco appears to have reinvented it. 'I’ll just order the sundae and tell them not to chop up the churro - give it to me whole,' one commenter said.
Rollout and Menu Changes
The rollout of the caramel churro sundae has already begun appearing in Costco's 630 stores, though it is unclear if it will hit every location. The news spread with a now-viral social media post, stating that the warehouse chain 'did it again!'
Costco's other sundae options are quietly disappearing as the caramel churro sundae makes its debut. That includes the fan-favorite Double Chocolate Mint sundae with mint soft-serve ice cream, thick chocolate sauce, and crunchy chocolate cookie crumbles.
'I am BEGGING Costco to keep their mint ice cream around in their food court until Ramadan is over,' one Instagram comment said. 'It is all I want.'
Costco's Food Court and Broader Strategy
Costco's food court remains one of the most popular in America, famous for its ultra-cheap staples including the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, pizza slices, and the $3.99 chicken bake. The company has also tightened rules around who can access those deals, recently requiring membership verification at outdoor food courts.
Recent Developments
Meanwhile, one of Costco's latest projects is a standalone gas station in California, opening in June—a timely addition as gas prices rise due to the US-Israeli war with Iran. In recent months, Costco has also adjusted its checkout strategy, scaling back on self-checkouts while testing new technology in select locations.
Rather than getting rid of self-checkout altogether, Costco has removed hand-held scanners from kiosks in some stores after they were reportedly used to help bypass proper scanning and facilitate theft. CEO Ron Vachris told investors the company has begun deploying systems that allow employees to scan items in customers' carts before they reach the cashier—an effort aimed at speeding up throughput and reducing errors.
The approach differs from the fully customer-operated 'Scan & Go' system already in place at rival Sam's Club, where shoppers scan items using the retailer's app, pay digitally, and present a QR code at the exit.
