Costco announces 7 new warehouse locations to open in August

Costco is expanding further in the U.S., announcing plans to open seven new stores in August.

The Issaquah-based wholesale giant now has 928 warehouses worldwide and nearly 83 million paid members.

Costco will open up warehouses in the following locations:

• Albany, New York
• Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
• Ostego, Minnesota
• Mansfield, Texas
• Celina, Texas
• Stone Mountain, Georgia
• Lee’s Summit, Missouri

In June, Costco opened locations in Syracuse, Utah and Pensacola, Florida, and in July, Costco also opened its newest location in Taiwan, the company announced.

During the company’s earnings call, Costco said it plans to open 26 warehouses in 2026, with roughly 30 new locations annually in subsequent years.

Beyond new stores, Costco is shaking up its food court offerings

One of the most highly anticipated items in Costco’s food court has finally arrived on the national stage, as the company recently rolled out chicken strips as part of its latest menu revision.

For $6.99, each order comes with five chicken tenders served with a dipping sauce that food critics have said resembles Chick-fil-A sauce.

“They’re crispy on the outside and definitely filling,” Instagrammer Costco Savvy said. “Ooo, this is a great option for my kids! I’m surprised they’ve only started offering these.”

Another social media personality said the chicken strips are “BIG” and that they had to wait roughly 20 minutes in line due to the massive demand.

The chicken tenders were predominantly a Canadian Costco food court item that members in the U.S. had clamored for over the years, and have now begun popping up in locations across America, according to Tasting Table.

Costco recently began a comprehensive rollout after testing the chicken tenders earlier in 2026

Costco hot dog combo survives 40 years unchanged — until now

Costco has quietly altered its beloved $1.50 hot dog combo deal for the first time in 40 years.

Although the cost of the deal remains unchanged, the Issaquah-based wholesale giant has added an extra drink option for customers.

Instead of the usual 20-ounce refillable fountain soda, customers can now choose a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water to quench their thirst.

It remains unclear when the new option will be available at all 643 warehouse locations in the U.S., but shoppers in California, Nevada, and Virginia have already seen the revised deal appear at checkout.

New Costco CEO stands firm on price of hot dog combo

One of the driving factors behind the shared love for Costco’s food court menu items has been the company’s ability to maintain the low price of the hot dog combo amid years of inflation and rising food costs.

Famously, the founder of Costco, Jim Sinegal, told the former CEO Craig Jelinek that if the price of the hot dog were raised, he would kill him. Since then, the price has remained unchanged.

“I came to (Sinegal) once, and I said, ‘Jim, we can’t sell this hot dog for a buck fifty. We are losing our rear ends,'” Jelinek said in 2018. “And he said, ‘If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.'”

Since then, Ron Vachris has taken over as Costco’s third CEO, having worked his way up from a forklift driver at Price Club, which merged with Costco in 1993.

Costco members across the nation can breathe a sigh of relief as Vachris reaffirmed his goal of keeping the price of the hot dog combo unchanged last month in a social media post that tapped into the viral taste-test trend among other fast-food CEOs.

Vachris grabbed the iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo and scarfed it down on camera inside one of Costco’s many food courts.

“$1.50? For this hot dog?” Vachris said with a Costco hot dog in hand. “The hot dog price will not change as long as I’m around.”

Costco’s social media post included a cherry on top (or ketchup and mustard) in the video’s caption, stating, “When you run the company, but you still know the best lunch in town only costs $1.50.”

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