Costco is bringing back a nostalgic favorite for sundaes, causing a backlash from customers
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Costco has finally answered calls to bring back its beloved churros — but consumers aren’t satisfied.
Instead of bringing back the full-sized cake that once defined its food court, the Washington-based big-box retailer unveiled a $2.99 Caramel Churro Sundae with mini churro scales.
Dessert consists of vanilla, chocolate or soft swirl ice cream drizzled with salted caramel and topped with small churro bites.
MANY COSTCO SHOPPERS NEVER PLACE A SINGLE PART OF THE STORE — A MISTAKE THAT COULD COST THEM HUNDREDS.
Costco’s original churros, fried dough usually rolled in cinnamon sugar, were a food court staple for decades. They first appeared in the 1990s and sold for 99 cents, according to reports, but were repackaged and resold before being discontinued in early 2024.
Laura Jayne Lamb, who runs the Instagram account @costcohotfinds, shared a video of the new dessert this week, writing, “Costco’s food court has done it again!”
Churros are kept warm in a Costco food court during the store’s opening in Indiana in 2019. (Sam Owens/Courier & Press)
The reaction online, however, is mixed.
A comment with nearly 5,000 likes on Lamb’s Instagram post read, “We don’t want pieces of churros. We want all the churros back!”
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“Bring back the churros!” one user wrote in the top comment on Reddit’s Costco forum in response to a post about the new item.
One user wrote, “This is a slap in the face giving us ‘churro bites’ not churros.”
Some Costco customers are longing for the return of the food court churro, which disappeared in early 2024. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
One parent joked about the emotional toll of the menu change, writing, “One of my kids is 6 and every few months she screams, ‘Why did they take away the churros!?’ It was like betraying his first life. “
One person joked about the app: “I can get a Caramel Churro Sundae, no caramel, no sundae, original recipe.… Thanks, here’s one dollar!”
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The new $2.99 sundae costs nearly twice the price of the previous $1.50 churro and is significantly higher than the original 99-cent version from decades ago, fans noted.
Some shoppers have pointed out that Costco has replaced churros with a $2.49 double chocolate chip cookie in recent years, which has also sparked controversy.
The launch comes as Costco continues to rotate seasonal sweets in its popular grocery store. (Bev Shaffer/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
For some, the concern wasn’t price — it was calories.
One commenter wrote, “850 calories. I’m sure they’re delicious, but they’re also self-destructive.”
Another said, “If they didn’t show the calories on the menu, I’d get them all the time.”
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Despite the backlash, many customers said they were excited to try a new dessert.
“That looks like fire!” one Instagram user wrote.
Another commented, “OK, I need to try this ASAP.”
Costco shoppers weigh in on the retailer’s new food court drink. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Costco has been known to swap out food court sundaes from time to time. It’s unclear how long the Caramel Churro Sundae will be around.
The new churro sundae comes on the heels of Costco’s Double Chocolate Mint Sundae — a mint-and-chocolate that briefly hit the scene earlier this spring.
Availability may vary by location, as Costco’s food court offerings may vary from store to store.
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The launch also comes amid an ongoing food court battle between Costco and Sam’s Club, both warehouse chains pulling out of frozen caramel desserts within a month, fans noted.
In February, Sam’s Club Café introduced a limited-time Caramel Palmier Sundae, featuring vanilla frozen yogurt, caramel sauce and sweet Member’s Mark Cinnamon Palmiers for $1.58.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Costco for comment.
