Costco Uses Different Hot Dog Buns Depending On Your Location
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, you're probably familiar with Costco's $1.50 hot dog combo featuring a quarter-pound all-beef hot dog and a 20-ounce soda. Remarkably, the price for the hot dog combo has stayed the same since it was first introduced in 1985. Remember when you could buy a taco from Taco Bell's value menu for 39 cents? Most young people likely don't because that ship has long since sailed, per The New York Times.
Deals that sound too good to be true typically won't last because they aren't profitable for the company, as Taco Bell quickly realized. But Costco has held firm: Even during times of inflation, the store hasn't budged on the cost (via Finance Buzz).
One budget-saving measure the wholesale chain did implement over the years involved switching hot dog brands. According to Wide Open Eats, the Costco hot dogs served in the food court were previously Hebrew National up until 2008, but are now exclusively the store's own Kirkland brand. While you will get the same hot dog no matter what Costco you shop in, the wholesaler does use different hot dog buns depending on your location.
Costco hot dog buns can vary by region
The revelation that the hot dog buns Costco uses in its food court for the famously cheap combo vary by location was shared on the subreddit r/Costco, in which several Costco employees responded to a question asking whether Costco sells those very same hot dogs and buns in its stores. As mentioned above, the all-beef hot dog factor in the equation is the signature Kirkland brand, of which packages are readily available for bulk purchase.
In regards to the buns, one staff member informed the forum discussion that in the Los Angeles region, the food court uses Francisco bread and the "exact same rolls are packaged with a maroon label for the members on the sales floor." Another employee in the Midwest divulged that their location utilizes S.Rosen's buns, which are also available for purchase in the bread section. A third person living in eastern Canada said their Costcos use Dempster's hot dog buns from the bread aisle. So, while you will get the same hot dog experience no matter where you shop at Costco, the vehicle on which the frankfurter is delivered may differ slightly in taste and texture based on where you live.