A few weeks ago, there was a viral video trend involving the CEOs of fast food restaurants eating their company’s food. It started after McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski filmed himself taking a teeny bite of their new Big Arch burger. It was so awkward and cringey that Burger King trolled him with a video of their CEO taking a big bite of a Whopper. Soon, a whole bunch of CEOs started doing it. My favorites are KFC and Wendy’s.
This week, Costco CEO Ron Vachris finally joined in by eating a – you guessed it – Costco hot dog. Unlike most of the other videos that featured the bosses eating in their offices, he filmed his video on location in a Costco food court. He also made a pledge to customers that the price of their famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combo will not go up as long as he has anything to say about it.
With the cost of nearly everything climbing these days, it can feel rare to find something that hasn’t seen a price hike. One such item, the beloved $1.50 hot dog and soda combo at Costco warehouses, has long been top of mind for those still looking for a deal.
In recent years, Costco has repeatedly reassured consumers that it would not raise the price of its hot dog and soda combo, even as consumer prices rose, membership fees climbed, and two food court items became more expensive.
Costco even made a change to its food court soda fountains to keep the combo price at $1.50.
Richard Galanti, the now-former CFO for Costco, said in 2022 that the hot dog and soda combo would stay at $1.50 “forever.” But then, in early 2024, Galanti told Bloomberg that the $1.50 combo deal’s price might only be “probably safe for a while” after his departure.
It’s been just over a year since Galanti left the company, and in a video posted to Costco’s Instagram on Wednesday, CEO Ron Vachris shared a small but reassuring update on the hot dog and soda combo’s future.
In the video, Vachris eats a hot dog while sitting in a Costco food court (potentially in a nod to the fast food CEOs who have been eating burgers from their restaurants), fielding questions from someone behind the camera.
“$1.50, for this hot dog?” Vachris says before taking his first bite. After a beat, he gets the question, “Is the price of the hot dog going up?”
“The hot dog price will not change as long as I’m around,” he responded. Vachris was named CEO of Costco in January 2024 after serving as the president and COO for roughly two years (he kept the president role, too), in addition to the several decades he has spent with Costco.
“Amazing. Amazing quality. Amazing value,” Vachris said when asked to describe the quarter-pound all-beef hot dog. “That’s $1.50 well spent.
So rest assured that, at least for now, getting a hot dog and soda at your local Costco will only cost you $1.50 – as long as you’re a member.
I know it’s a small in the scheme of things, but I really appreciate Costco’s commitment to keeping the hot dog/soda combo price down. It would be very easy for them to have raised it over the last six years and blame it on inflation. Thus far, they’ve read the room correctly and have refused to f-ck up one of their most famous offerings.
Just like with how their board voted not to abandon DEI initiatives last year when so many other companies were bending the knee, Costco is loyal to their brand’s beliefs. They also just announced that they’re launching a program to offer deeply discounted fertility drugs to members. I always said that my ideal retirement job is the person who draws smiley faces when they check receipts, and I’m totally serious. Costco is a company that I wouldn’t mind working for.
Costco CEO Ron Vachris did the “CEO eats his own product” challenge by destroying a hot dog (and confirms the Costco hot dog combo is staying at $1.50 forever). Legend. pic.twitter.com/bMbkp5mDq5
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) March 19, 2026
Photos are screenshots from a Wall Street Journal interview with Vachris and Instagram/Costco
Even more amazing than the $1.50 hotdogs, is their $5 whole roasted chicken. An entire cooked chicken for $5!
That roasted chicken is such a deal. We’ll get two or three if they’re available and eat one for dinner, and then shred the rest and freeze the meat. I see some people picking up five or more and I’m not quite willing to do that yet, lol. But there is so much meat on them and you can get so much out of it – soups, skillet meals, chicken salad, and then use the bones for homemade broth.
Agreed. Hot dogs are inherently nasty, but the chickens are awesome.
Sandwiches and stock! For $5!
The people at Costco know what they’re doing, because a loss-leader like the rotisserie chicken will still make them money in the long run. (How many people really buy that $5 chicken and nothing else?) Heck, my friend and I will go to Costco for 2-3 items and walk out with a full cart of stuff hahahaha.
I learned the hard way a very long time ago. Go into Costco with a LIST and if it’s not on the list (and isn’t toilet paper or dishwasher detergent, because we always need those things) it does not go in the cart.
That said, I need to put together my list for Costco. I am running low on dishwasher detergent and need to go this weekend. There are always rotisserie chickens on the list – one to eat for dinner that night and one to shred and freeze for soup & sandwiches.
I’ve been to Costco once. My friend took me on her membership (when this was allowed). I was overwhelmed with deals! When it came to check out, those deals cost me $600.00!!!!!
I’ve never been back.
That’s what I had for my dinner last night! Hot diggity!
I’ve never been to Costco, but the CEO seems like a stand-up guy. It speaks to our times that when I read he’d keep the $1.50 hot dog the same price, I was elated and thought him heroic. This guy has my respect, sure, but there’s so much cowardice around now that keeping the price of hot dogs low makes him Superman to me. Other people really must get a spine and fight the powers that be (song from rap group Public Enemy).
It’s great marketing, and he comes across like a stand-up guy. However, that food is absolute garbage for your body. Every part of it is processed, fatty, sugary, additive-filled crap. Selling the worst food at the best price is what leads to a lot of chronic diseases that the American healthcare system will then refuse to treat.
Yum, just the way I like it. 😋
I won’t argue that the hot dog or pizza or whatever is good for anyone but it’s also a store that sells organic fruit, veg and dairy (as well as other goods) at very good prices. Honestly, it’s probably the best priced fresh, healthy food you can find. Hopefully people are taking advantage of stocking up on those items while only occasionally enjoying a hot dog.
Agreed. I shop at Costco weekly but I don’t eat there. I used to love the supreme pizza by the slice, but the last time I had it, it wasn’t tasty enough to be worth the fat anymore. They have incredible food selection, nice seafood (even in the midwest- oh, the coho), all kinds of household necessities, and practical clothing.
They can ride this common man wave to the top in this current and shitty period of terminal capitalism.
Such a relief to feel like SOMEONE is maintaining basic values, very happy they stuck to their DEI promises. I always notice how little turnover they have in staff – my local Costco has had same people for years and they are always friendly & happy.
Decent company all around in the midst of the national dumpster fire. Happy to give them my money.
By all accounts, they are a good employer who provide good benefits to even their part-time employees so it’s not surprising to me that they are friendly and happy.
I love that guy — he seems to really love his job and Costco customers.
We’ve been Costco members for decades and happily have found that whatever I used to buy at Target, I can find there — just in larger amounts (thank goodness for my basement storage room).
That’s a darned good price and nothing wrong with an occasional treat. Good video, too! He ate the whole thing!
Our food Costco food court is outside & has no seating, so you’ve got lots of people standing around waiting for their stuff. I guess it’s fine for people who like to eat in their cars on the way home, which is not me. I used to, but I ended up with too many food stains on my clothing & car seat & had to give it up.
LOL, I can’t eat food in a vehicle anymore. Even when stationary! A couple weeks ago I dribbled some tacos sauce ALL OVER the front of my sweatshirt – I ended up having to just cut it up as rags. Mind you, this was a sweatshirt that already had a couple stubborn food stains on it from prior accidents! I’m even starting to drop food and drink on my clothes at the table at home now. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s due to my advancing age!
LOL I keep an adult bib in the car for just this reason. I also wear a bib when eating my supper. I don’t know why I cannot seem to get a spoonful of soup from bowl to mouth w/o dripping on myself. Why I can’t seem to eat a sandwich w/o spilling the contents down my front.
Even when being particularly careful, I can’t seem to manage it. Out of clothes ruined, I made bibs! I think my inability to eat w/o spillage started around my 69th birthday!
My parents have been members for decades and buy a lot of their daily household use products there. Our family loves shopping there.
It’s the carrot to get people in the store. Come for the $5 chicken then you get seduced and spend 100’s or more. Buying some giant box of something (see Modern Family).
Every time I visit my mom in Florida I go. There food area is huge and they have full on picnic tables with people eating hot dogs and slices of pizza.