How To Upgrade Costco's Food Court Pizza With One Elusive Item

Costco has one of the most popular food courts around, with lines that get pretty long. Customers, meanwhile, are quick to hack the menu, creating items like the Jochizza, a combination of a hot dog, a chicken bake, and a slice of pizza. You don't have to order three full-size items for a tasty snack, though. If you're a person of simple, yet refined taste, you can order a slice of pizza for just $1.99 and then add raw, diced onions on top for a touch of acidity — which will also serve to enhance your breath.

This diced veggie is actually offered at the condiment bar to accompany Costco's Kirkland hot dogs, but that hasn't stopped members from adding it to their pizza slices. Costco got rid of its combo pizza that offered onions, peppers, and olives as prominent toppings, but food court guests can at least achieve a fraction of that tastiness by topping their pepperoni or cheese pie slices with onion. However, there is one caveat: Some locations have apparently banned employees from handing out diced onions to customers who haven't purchased a hot dog. In response to a Reddit post where the original poster (OP) asked, "Is anyone else an absolute monster and snag some onions for their pizza?" at least two commenters, both from California, said that they asked for the pungent bits to add to their pizza, but were denied.  

The COVID-19 pandemic was notable for a lot of things, but none more so — at least in Costco fans' estimation — than the removal of the diced onion cranks from the bulk retailer's food courts. For health and safety precautionary reasons, Costco pulled the dispensers out of its cafeteria area in 2020, but they did end up bringing diced onions back in late Spring 2023 — though without the cranks.

Instead, onions were available in little condiment containers upon request only, requiring members to go up to the counter and ask for them. Some people complained, though, about the number of pieces the cups contained, a far cry from the days when they could load up on as many onions as they wanted. Then, in the fall of 2024, people started noticing the cranks returning to some of the stores, and the rejoicing began (though apparently they did not make a return to all locations). Now, it seems that in food courts where the crank did not make its triumphant return, Costco has grown even more limiting with who can have these free toppings. The big question that still remains: Why?