Why Customers Think Costco Is Superior In California

Browsing the internet can expose us to a whole world of lived experiences we never imagined, and such was the case recently when Reddit users discovered that many California Costcos have their food courts outdoors. "Moving out of California made me realize that most Costco food courts are actually INSIDE," one commenter marveled. "This was a crazy realization that I'm not used to." Pictures showed an open-air Costco food court attached to the side of a warehouse, the diners enjoying their pizza slices and hot turkey provolone sandwiches on a patio that is covered, but exposed to the fresh air on two sides. According to Reddit anecdotes, it varies widely between Californian Costco locations as to whether you need to present your membership card before ordering.

Come to think about it, we had inklings that Golden State Costco locations were different. When covering the fact that Julia Child's favorite Costco food court item was a hot dog, we learned that she liked to sit under an umbrella at the Santa Barbara warehouse and enjoy her glizzy. That doesn't make sense unless the food court is outdoors! The beautiful weather in California has been the subject of countless songs and movie backdrops, so we can definitely understand why folks would want to enjoy their budget lunch in the great outdoors. Who doesn't love eating alfresco when it's sunny and mild?

Delving deeper into Reddit, it becomes obvious that outdoor versus indoor food courts are not the only differences between Costco stores in different parts of the country. Anecdotally, Costco seems to switch up its stock based on the populations it serves, having an impressive grasp on exactly what its customer base wants. For example, one Redditor pointed out, some Costco locations carry more halal and/or kosher meat offerings based on demand. We already knew that some Costco locations have a kosher bakery, while others don't. "Both of my sons worked in Costco going through college," one commenter reported. "They said they were told that there was a certain percentage of items all Costcos carry and that the remaining percentage is at the manager's discretion. It would not be surprising that a manager would opt to carry stuff that is relevant to their local population."

Of course, there are wider differences between Costco locations as well. Some will carry liquor in warehouses, while others sell only wine and/or beer, depending on state laws. And then there are Costco Business Center locations, which are open earlier than normal stores and tend to carry products suitable for reselling, like greater drink selections and individually-packaged snacks. Don't make the mistake of assuming that every Costco is exactly the same, as many warehouses have a unique flavor based on local demographics.