Something is missing from the Costco food court, and the internet isn't happy.
The warehouse giant has long been known for its $1.50 hot dog-and-drink combo, a food-court mainstay and an offering as synonymous with Costco as the $5 rotisserie chicken.
Related: 10 Quick Recipes to Make With Costco's $5 Rotisserie Chicken
Alas, while the price hasn't changed — Costco's co-founder even reportedly threatened current CEO Craig Jelinek when Jelinek considered charging more for the iconic item — something else has: There are no more onions.
@Costco Costco Dogs are great, but they're even better with onions. #BringBackTheOnions!!! pic.twitter.com/h0O1zvBwH3
— NellieBellie87 (@NellieBellie729) February 27, 2022
What might seem like a minor omission is a very real source of concern for many Costco fans on social media, who have been crusading for the return of their favorite condiment ever since it disappeared during the pandemic.
@taryndownwalls I said what I said. #justiceforonions #costco #fyp #cvid #pandemic #foryoupage #tiktok #momtok #liveaboard ♬ Love Is Gone (feat. Dylan Matthew) (Acoustic) - SLANDER, Dylan Matthew
Onions weren't the only thing that changed at Costco as COVID-19 tightened its grip. The beloved free samples also went missing for a long time, finally returning during the summer of 2021. The food court's tables disappeared as Costco encouraged social distancing, but eventually returned as well. Customers suddenly faced quantity limits on popular buys like toilet paper, but those are largely a thing of the past, too.
Today, hot-dog fans can still find ketchup, mustard, and relish in newly touch-free, sensor-activated dispensers. The onion crank, though, appears to have disappeared for good, though, and Costco remains tight-lipped about the matter.
Related: 18 Reasons Why Costco Is Such An Annoying Place to Shop
There are competing theories about why onions are no more, however, and they have nothing to do with the pandemic. Mashed reports that many a Costco customer abused their onion-dispenser privileges, filling up containers to take onions home for easy meal prep. And employees have said the dispensers were a nightmare to maintain — which may be why one even showed up in a thrift store.
im craving a Costco hot dog with extra cranked onions rn for no reason pic.twitter.com/9RRiHo61GT
— ✈️ 𝚁𝚘𝚢 𝙳𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝙹𝚛 ✈️ (@chiweethegod) December 10, 2021
Whatever the reason, the onions might be gone for good. After all, they are conspicuously missing from the hot dog's food-court menu glamour shots, which wasn't the case just a few years ago.
RIP, Costco hot-dog onions. You will be missed.
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