Costco Business Center: Locations, FAQs, and Why You Should Shop Here

While most of us make a pit stop to pick up pre-made meals, party food, or just regular groceries at our local Costco, far fewer of us head to a Costco Business Center. With only 27 business center locations across the United States, you’d be forgiven for not popping in or even realizing they exist. 

But for owners of small businesses like restaurants, theaters, or those that require office supplies, it delivers. I stopped in at the Costco Business Center near me recently. Here are answers to the most-asked questions regarding Costco's business-focused locations, as well as some general observations.

Worried your plain vanilla Costco card won’t get you into this exclusive club? Worry no more — all Costco Gold Star or Executive members are welcome at Costco Business Center locations. 

As of November 2023, there are 27 Costco Business Center locations — listed below — across the U.S. For more specific information, visit the Costco business delivery website. 

• Anchorage, Alaska (opening soon)
• Phoenix, Arizona
• California (11 locations): North Hollywood, Commerce, Hawthorne, Hayward, Ontario, South San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, San Jose, San Marcos, and Westminster
• Denver, Colorado
• Orlando, Florida
• Morrow, Georgia
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Chicago, Illinois
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Hackensack, New Jersey
• Dallas, Texas
• Stafford, Texas
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Fife, Washington
• Lynnwood, Washington

Most regular Costco warehouses open their doors at 10 a.m., but Costco Business Centers appeal to early birds, with most opening at 7 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 a.m. on Sunday. However, business centers do close earlier than regular Costcos, shutting down at 6 p.m. instead of 8:30 p.m. every days except for Sunday, when it closes at 4 p.m.

Yes, some Costco Business Centers have food courts, but not many, according to the website. The locations that have food courts are:

• North Hollywood, California
• Commerce, California
• Honolulu
• Salt Lake City

As for what food court items are available at business centers, one recent review of the North Hollywood location notes: "It doesn’t have the full menu, but they at least have the classic hotdogs and pizza." When I went to my local center, churros were also available. 

While we wish the answer was yes, or at least yes for a few locations, the sad truth is that Costco Business Centers do not offer the same low prices on beer, wine, and liquor that regular Costco locations do. The business centers do not sell liquor at all. 

Yes, business centers accept EBT as payment for qualifying products. Keep in mind, however, that as with all regular Costco locations, EBT cards cannot be used at the food court.

Here's where we shift from FAQs to general observations that might help you decide if the Costco Business Center shopping experience is right for you. Let's begin with size: While going to a regular Costco can feel like entering a small city (especially when you have to walk from your car to the entrance), Business Centers typically have a smaller parking lot, smaller warehouse, and — best of all — smaller crowds. 

While I was there on a Tuesday and not a weekend, the experience made me think it might be the right place to pick up a few items when the regular Costco is swarmed on Saturdays and Sundays.

That smaller size comes at a price — most Costco Business Centers don’t have pharmacies, photo services, optical or hearing centers, furniture, gas stations, clothes, toys, books, electronics, jewelry, liquor, or home goods. And forget free samples. That may seem like a lot, but if you’re an impulse buyer, you might prefer a more streamlined store. 

Walking into a regular Costco, you’re assaulted with everything from televisions to croissants to sunscreen — and somehow at least one or two of these items end up in your cart. Unless you’re apt to moon over 10 pounds of pork shoulder, you’re not likely to fill up your cart with items that aren't on your list at a Costco Business Center. 

Before you get your hopes up that you can toss in a sheet cake order or pick up a rotisserie chicken, bad news: While you can get hot dog buns and the like, there’s no on-site bakery or a spot to grab a freshly roasted chicken. 

While you probably already go to Costco to get party supplies, if you can get to a Business Center before a really big shindig such as a wedding, bar mitzvah, or class reunion, consider it a stop. You can even pick up basic tables, chairs, and even speakers.

The vast majority of the stuff at a Business Center is unlike what’s on offer at your regular Costco. While you may be imagining all sorts of strange and unique foods for sale, I suspect this has more to do with the size of the merchandise than the product selection. For example, you can get pork at both locations, but it’s only at the Business Center that you can buy a whole pig for your next luau. 

Every Costco has a room or two where fresh dairy or perishable fruits get tucked away, but they’re puny compared to the refrigerated room at the Business Center I visited. Not only was it a huge space with everything from produce to meat and cheese, it supposedly offers jackets to help customers handle the temperature. Given the heat outside when I visited, I found the cold to be a welcome respite.

So. Much. Meat. While the quantities were probably too massive for any individual to consider without an extra freezer in the garage and a party on the books, the meat and cheese were not in short supply at the Business Center I went to.

Walking through the entrance, an employee handed me a deal book – something I usually have to look for or request at a regular Costco. While I didn’t spend much time scanning through it at the store, I took it home to suss out some bargains in case I head back.

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Most of the store is devoted to food — and much of it is frozen or refrigerated. I found frozen danishes, cinnamon buns, and premade turkey croissant sandwiches — items similar to what you'd find at coffee shops.

If you ever need a 5-gallon bucket of soy sauce or 30-pounds of mayo, a Costco Business Center is the place for you. How about a gallon of Frank's Red Hot sauce? Or all the garlic powder a small army would be challenged to gulp down in a year? A word of advice for the average consumer: Resist the urge to buy spices here, as they’ll take up plenty of room and are guaranteed to get stale or go bad before you can use them. Unless, of course, you own a restaurant.

While whole pigs (and goats) were available at my local business center, you’ll be happy to know that most snacks can be purchased in the same size as you’d find at a regular Costco. These may still be in a bigger container or bag than you really want, but not so huge you suspect you have to start a business just to get rid of it.

Related: Addictive Costco Snacks You'll Be Happy You Bought in Bulk

If you and/or your family and friends go to a lot of movies and don't like to pay theater prices for candy to eat while you watch, you can find cheap candy in bulk at a Costco Business Center. They have all the brands but — keep in mind — as with most products here, the packages are sizable.

Want paper toilet seat covers? A lot of them? Think really big. Costco Business Center has them. There are also paper towels, dispensers for the paper towels, food trays, you name it. And there's also plenty of toilet paper for those who are still scarred from the pandemic shortage. 

And when we say appliances, we mean appliances with gusto. Want an industrial oven? Maybe a walk-in fridge? How about a professional-grade meat slicer? Costco may not stock these appliances in its regular stores, but for restaurant owners, the selection at the Business Center isn’t bad.

Finding items at a regular Costco can involve lots of walking and searching. But if you aren’t a fan of stomping around the whole store looking for an item, you’ll be happy to know that, with fewer categories to stock and less interest in filling end-caps with a strange assortment of impulse buys, Business Centers seem to realize that you just want to get the stuff you want and to get the heck out of there.

Sure, you’re in line behind a guy who might have more supplies than a prospector looking to cross the Klondike in 1899, but that’s okay — while he may have a ton of stuff, the truth is it’s only five items. I checked out in less than 10 minutes, which never happens at a regular Costco no matter what day or time I go.

With its focused product assortment, the Business Center was noticeably low on the irritating shoppers who jam up the aisles at most Costco stores, staring vacantly at mattresses, pawing at the towel sets, or having long discussions with new friends with their feet propped on outdoor furniture. I’m guessing that’s part of the reason the people who worked at the store seemed more chipper and less frazzled than other Costco employees. Heck, I was more chipper and less frazzled — and for that reason alone, I’ll be back.