Are Big Changes Coming to Costco's Food Courts?

Dining at Costco isn't exactly the same thing as dining at a casual restaurant. With the latter, you might at least get to enjoy a smidge of ambiance. At Costco, dining at the food court usually means chowing down on inexpensive food while being surrounded by screaming children (or adults) and oversized shopping carts. It may be a cost-effective way to eat lunch, but it's generally not the most soothing dining experience.

But now, reports are popping up of changes to Costco's food court overseas. And if a similar setup hits the U.S., it might make you even less inclined to dine at a Costco food court.

Is food court seating going away?

The Costco food court isn't really the sort of place you'd want to linger. But Costco is trying to do its best to keep customers from taking up residence at its food courts overseas.

It's been reported that in South Korea, Costco has begun the practice of eliminating the usual food court seating arrangement and instead bringing in tall, standing-only tables. The point is no doubt to send the message that customers who choose to eat at Costco should do so quickly and move on.

Now so far, there are no reports of Costco getting rid of seating in the U.S. But on a Costco subreddit, one Montana user did mention that Costco had added those tall tables to its food court area, albeit without taking the seated tables away. While it's too soon to say with any certainty that Costco is looking to revamp its U.S. food courts, the possibility could exist.

Is the Costco food court worth visiting?

Most people don't head to Costco for the express purpose of having a meal. Rather, members tend to take advantage of the food court on the days they're already doing their shopping.

If you're at Costco and happen to get hungry, then grabbing a quick meal at the food court could be a way to free up more money for your savings account.

For one thing, there's the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo you really can't argue with. It may not be the healthiest lunch, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a cheaper version, even if you were to make it at home (keep in mind that your hot dog also includes all of the fixings you may want to pile on top).

Costco's food court also features large slices of pizza for $1.99. And if you're shopping with your family, you can grab an entire pie for $9.95.

Now, one of Costco's more newly introduced food court items -- the roast beef sandwich -- has a price tag of $9.99. That's not exactly a bargain. But the $3.99 chicken bake might offer a decent amount of bang for your buck.

All told, Costco's food court could be a source of a cheap meal when you need one. So even if Costco decides to implement changes to its food courts that make it harder to sit and enjoy some grub, you may still want to take advantage of those great deals -- even if it means grabbing your meal to go and eating it in your car or bringing it home.