Whatever Happened To Costco's Calzones?
Costco introduced meat calzones to its food court and deli case (depending on where you lived) in the late 2000s. Two calzones came in a clear clamshell pack, and were filled with beef, pork, and cheese, placed beside a cup of marinara sauce, according to Costco Insider. Consumers could reheat the calzones in the oven or microwave before serving. Fans found the calzones to be satisfying, and an affordable option at just $6.99 (via Costco Cuisine). Just one calzone was a hefty 530 calories, so perhaps it wasn't the healthiest option, but some customers would eat half for lunch, and then half for dinner.
The Costco calzone ranks high on the list of discontinued Costco items that consumers miss the most due to its taste and price point. Consumers have long questioned if favorite Costco items, such as the calzone, will ever return. Often, the answer is, it's unlikely. Costco's 2008 cookbook, In the Kitchen The Costco Way, contains a recipe for an Italian sausage calzone, which may or may not be the company's prized calzone recipe. But that's the closest we may ever get to the long lost calzone.
Why the calzones at Costco disappeared
Just like other favorites that have gone missing from the deli, food court, and retail section, inventory at Costco is constantly changing. You can tell if an item is about to be pulled from Costco shelves if there's an asterisk in the upper right corner of its price tag, according to Reader's Digest.
Costco, at the end of the day, is a business, and must watch its bottom line. Perhaps the calzones were not selling enough to stick around. It may have been a case of eating is believing. So, for those who never tasted the Costco calzones, meat-and-cheese-lover handheld delights may have been a hard sell when placed next to dozens of other tempting options. The calzones might have also fallen prey to Costco's product rotation model. After all, according to Fast Company, while a typical supermarket has close to 25,000 items, Costco only carries 3,600, with 1,000 rotating in and out on a regular basis.