Costco swaps Coca-Cola for Pepsi in its food courts

Costco is switching back to offering Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi at its food courts. The beverage change will also be reflected in its $1.50 hot dog and soda combo. The swap, which will take place this summer, has people divided.

Costco started serving Coca-Cola instead of Pepsi in 2013 to preserve the combo’s $1.50 price, and at the time, received mixed reactions. Now, CEO Ron Vachris announced the shift back to Coca-Cola at the company’s annual shareholder meeting.

The company’s chief financial officer said the swap will not change the price of the combo, which has been selling for $1.50 since 1985 and is a cornerstone of Costco’s brand.

Despite losing money on the combo, Costco sold 150 million hot dog-soda deals in 2024. It offsets costs by raising prices on other food court items.

The change is good news for Coca-Cola, which dominates the US soft drink market with a 19.2% share, while Pepsi trails at 8.31%, according to Beverage Digest’s 2024 rankings.