Costco’s New Food Court Item Is Already Stirring Debate Among Shoppers

Costco’s food court has produced some of the most beloved cheap eats in American retail history. The $1.50 hot dog combo has been frozen at that price for decades. The pizza slice remains a post-shopping ritual for millions. But a new item has appeared at select U.S. warehouses, and unlike those untouchable classics, it is generating a reaction that is anything but unanimous. Five chicken tenders and a dipping sauce for $6.99 have ignited an online debate that Costco almost certainly did not expect.

A TikTok video posted on May 4, 2026, by user Mikey Around Chicago showed the food court menu at a Costco warehouse in Schaumburg, Illinois, featuring five pieces of breaded chicken breast strips served with a dipping sauce, priced at $6.99. The video spread quickly, reaching shoppers well beyond the Chicago suburbs. The item has since appeared at select Costco locations across the U.S., though it remains unclear how widely available it is or whether a nationwide rollout is planned. Costco has not made any official announcement. 

The reaction online has been sharply divided. Some shoppers called the tenders a long-overdue addition, while others focused on a number that stopped many viewers mid-scroll. A single five-piece order carries 1,640 calories, a figure that quickly became a flashpoint in comment sections and Reddit threads, with some treating it as a dealbreaker and others viewing it as simply a curiosity. Before anyone could settle the taste debate, a second controversy was already building around what the chicken might be replacing. 

When a New Item Means Losing an Old Favorite

Chicken tenders are not a new concept for Costco internationally. Canadian and Australian warehouse locations have offered them for years, and American shoppers have long pointed to the Canadian version as the one food court item they wanted most in the U.S. The Schaumburg sighting suggests that wish is finally coming true, at least partially. But the excitement among fans longing for the tenders has been complicated by what several shoppers noticed happening alongside the new arrival. 

Some customers at locations where the chicken tenders appeared noted the item seemed to be replacing the calzone, a stuffed, doughy staple that has earned a loyal following. The calzone combo was introduced in May 2025 and received mixed reviews. Several Reddit commenters confirmed this, though one Redditor noted the rollout itself had been delayed: “We were told we’d be getting them late Jan/early Feb and then mid Feb our manager said it’s been postponed indefinitely for now.” Costco has not confirmed any calzone removal at any location. 

Costco’s food court menu has shown it is not immune to updates and experimentation. The retailer previously replaced the classic full-size churro with a caramel churro sundae topped with smaller churro pieces, a change that similarly split shoppers, with some mourning the original and others welcoming the refresh. Each menu change at Costco follows the same pattern: loyal members treat even minor updates as personal, and the internet ensures everyone hears about it. The chicken tender debate follows a script the company knows well. 

Why Chicken, Why Now, and What the Numbers Say

The timing of the chicken tender test is not accidental. Chicken-focused menu items continue to perform well across the restaurant industry as consumers look for portable, protein-heavy meals and snacks. A good 28.4% of U.S. restaurant menus now specifically reference protein, up sharply from just 5.9% a decade ago, according to Datassential data cited by CNBC. Costco’s food court has never offered chicken tenders in the U.S. before, which means the launch arrives at precisely the moment the country’s appetite for them is strongest.

Skeptics, however, have already done the math on the calorie comparison. At Chick-fil-A, a four-piece chicken strip order contains just 310 calories. At Raising Cane’s, each chicken finger carries roughly 130 calories. Costco’s five-piece order at 1,640 calories dwarfs both of those figures by a significant margin. For shoppers who visit Costco specifically for value, the calorie count changes the conversation. The question is whether size and price can outweigh the comparison to chains that have spent years perfecting the category. 

The food court’s cultural footprint inside Costco’s business is larger than most shoppers realize. During Costco’s first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call, the company revealed it sold 358,000 whole pizzas on Halloween alone, a single-day food court record. Food court sales also grew by double digits during the second quarter of fiscal 2026. Those numbers explain why a chicken tender test matters far beyond the handful of Illinois warehouses where it has appeared. 

The Bigger Story Behind a Five-Piece Combo

Costco’s food court has long been one of the most discussed perks of a warehouse membership, known for its famously low prices and cult favorites like the $1.50 hot dog combo, which the company has pledged to keep unchanged. Outside of that iconic offering, however, the menu has shown it is not immune to updates and experimentation. The chicken tender launch fits that pattern, but it also represents something more calculated: a deliberate move into a food category with proven national appeal and a ready-made social media audience. 

One Reddit user who tried the tenders described them as “huge,” and added that “the sauce is like a sweet honey mustard.” Another commenter noted that two pieces were enough for a full meal. That kind of organic, first-person testimony travels fast in Costco’s online communities, where members treat food court discoveries like shared news. In the TikTok comments, one shopper confirmed trying them and said they were “so massive,” adding, “I’m 180 and 2 was enough.” For the warehouse chain, that reaction is exactly the kind of engagement money cannot buy. 

What happens next is the part no one knows. Costco has not confirmed a national rollout, has not addressed the calzone displacement, and has offered no comment on the calorie criticism. The retailer frequently adjusts its food court offerings based on local demand and operational factors, meaning changes can vary widely from store to store. If the tenders perform, they will spread. If they quietly disappear, they will join a long list of Costco food court items that arrived with fanfare and left without explanation. Either way, the question every member is asking right now is the same: will they show up at my store?