Free Food Samples are Returning to Costco!

Admit it, this is like Christmas morning hearing that free samples are coming back to Costco. Let's be honest, it's the REASON we all go to Costco... and the churros... at least for me.

CNN Business reports that the retail giant plans on fully bringing back free samples by early June.

Roughly 170 US locations will bring back food samples in the first week of June with "most of the remaining locations" returning toward the end of June, said Costco Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti on Thursday's earning call.

Because of the pandemic, food samples were cut out completely and then were brought back last summer in the form of pre-packaged samples behind a plexiglass. So technically it's been over a year since we've had free food samples in the way we're used to.

But things won't be exactly the same... there will be some changes, obviously. Food will continue to be made behind a plexiglass but instead of a bunch of wild animals crowding around their prey, the food handler will be handing out the samples to customers one-by-one.

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Another thing that Costco changed because of the pandemic was the food courts. Since then, you can only do grab-and-go pizzas and hot dogs. But that too will be returning! Some stores will have outdoor food courts but all 560 stores will bring back their indoor food courts in June. However, instead of seating six to eight people, only four people will be allowed at a table. But the biggest news is that the return of food courts also means the return of churros! According to Costco, they will be "new and improved" and will be on the menu July 4th. Some other new foods are expected to roll out throughout the summer.