Do i need a costco membership to buy pizza

I know! I know!

Costco is mainly a shopping retailer, so how does it sell pizza? Quickly put, it does. The store offers some fantastic options for pizza aficionados.

With Costco as your go-to pizzeria, you’re guaranteed a piping hot pizza. And you don’t have to worry about delays and wrong orders.

The Costco pizza is famous for its enormous size. While Domino’s pizza is sized at 12 inches in diameter, the Costco pizza is 18 inches.

The best thing, though, is the variety of pizzas to choose from. Let’s have a look at the kinds of pizza offered at Costco.

Top Pizzas at Costco

When you decide to buy your pizza at Costco, you get either cheese, pepperoni, or a combination of the two. The combo option comes with meat and veggies.

1. Cheese Pizza

Of the three pizza options, cheese is the most popular. Costco uses fresh cheese to bake the pizza, meaning that you don’t have to worry about unhealthy processed cheese.

2. Pepperoni

The pepperoni pizza at Costco food court has 60 slices of pepperoni. In an effort to emulate New York-style pizza, Costco’s pizza crust is crispy, and the sauce is tomato-based. The slices are foldable too!

3. Customized Pizza

If you’ve got more time, Costco’s food court lets you make an order for a customized pizza. This takes them about 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Take-and-Bake

In addition to the cheese, pepperoni, and combo, Costco offers a Take-and-Bake option. Costco’s Deli service offers 5-cheese pizza and pepperoni that you can cook at home. However, the options vary based on region.

5. Frozen

Costco’s freezing section offers varieties of pizza – from gluten-free pizza, and standard pepperoni pizza to mini pizzas. The frozen pizzas are microwavable, which are great solution for a quick snack.

Other pizza varieties at Costco include margarita pizza, cauliflower crusted pizza, Kirkland cheese, and many other specialties. Note that some of these pizza options have been discontinued due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Still, it’s best to check the ones available. For instance, although Costco had initially stopped selling combo and take-and-bake pizzas, the retailer was compelled to make a comeback, thanks to a cult following.

First and foremost, you need to know that Costco doesn’t do pizza deliveries. You have to pick the pizza yourself from their store.

The advantage is that their pizza is the cheapest. But there’s a catch — Costco favors customers who have subscribed to their membership card, hence the hacks.

Now, you can either call in advance before you go and pick it up at their stores, or simply make a 15-minute advance order while shopping around the supermarket for other things.

Call Orders for Costco Pizzas

When you decide to call, make sure you call 30 minutes in advance. Yes, I know. The retailer claims to offer quick services – for about 15 minutes in advance.

However, this has proven impractical. To be safe, give yourself about 30 minutes before picking up the pizza.

I mean, you don’t want to get stuck in a line of people waiting for their pizza, especially if the very reason you called ahead was to avoid the long queues.

Also, if you call during busy hours, give yourself approximately an hour. Take note that call orders are for whole pizzas and not for single slices.

One-On-One Pizza Pick-Ups at Costco

The first hack isn’t much rocket science.

Whenever you’re doing shopping rounds at Costco, remember to take a detour at the food court and place your order. Make the order just as you check in. By the time you’re done shopping, your pizza will be ready.

It’s even better if you come with a shopping companion. Have them take the detour to the food court as you finish scooping up items in the aisles.

The second hack is to meet the usher at the entrance. Ask for direction to the Costco food court. Once you’re there, place your order and wait.

If you don’t have a membership card, don’t worry. Just tell them you’re looking to subscribe, and they’ll let you in. I know, that’s a lie, but it works!

A surefire way of buying pizza at Costco without a membership subscription is to find a Costco whose food court is outside the store. This is where you place an order.

The subscription issue is only tricky if the food court is inside. But even then, they’ll let you in; but you’ll have to pay in cash.

The third hack is to place an order as you exit the store – perhaps you’re done shopping, but you suddenly have a craving for a pizza.

Pay for the pizza and go your way. Come back later and grab your sizzling hot pie. This is a great option if you don’t want to balance a hot box of pizza on top of your cart.

Costco Pizza FAQs

Let’s now go ahead and discuss some of the frequently asked questions regarding the Costco pizza.

How Much Is the Costco Pizza?

The price of pizza at Costco’s food court goes for $1.99 per slice. The whole box costs $9.95. The pricing applies across its 700 branches countrywide. If you subscribe to Costco’s membership of $60 annually, you’ll enjoy discounted prices.

The cost is fair due to the lack of deliveries. Also, Costco is firstly a shopping outlet; therefore, its pizza and food-selling options aren’t meant for profit. This explains the low costs.

Does Costco Offer Frozen Pizza?

Yes, it does. Even though the Costco food court offers hot pizza, you can still buy their frozen alternatives.

The retailer tends to offer discounts on its frozen pizzas, so check their social media platforms to see if they’re giving out promo codes on frozen pizza.

The Costco’s pizza box comes with 12 slices, which are split evenly – 6 slices with pepperoni and 6 with cheese. The frozen pizza is microwaveable, making it a perfect snack if you got hungry kids.

Since it’s frozen, you can unfreeze the pizza using an air fryer. This not only adds flavor to the pie but also crisps the slices in minutes.

To further improve the pizza’s taste, you can break apart one of its slices and use the pre-cooked bacon as topping before baking. This adds a ton of flavor to the pizza.

Of course, you can also get creative and add your sauce or any other flavored ingredient. That’s the perk of getting a frozen pizza from Costco.

Do I Need a Costco Membership to Buy Pizza at Costco?

During the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, Costco changed its membership policy. It required pizza enthusiasts to subscribe to the $60 annual membership to buy food from the retailer.

However, the retailer is no longer strict with this policy. There are several hacks and better ways to shop at Costco without a membership.

For example, if the Costco food court is outside the store, they’ll let you get a pizza without checking for a membership subscription.

On the other hand, if the food court is inside the store, you are not out of luck. You can walk right in and tell them you need a box of pizza. In this case, you’ll be required to pay in cash. Also, without membership, you only get to buy a whole pizza and not slices.

Note: Costco’s food court membership is $60. This lets you get $1.5 hotdogs and even cheaper pizza.

Even though the $60 subscription may seem like a splurge, you’ll be saving a lot annually. Depending on the type of member you are, you’ll probably recoup the membership fee from Costco’s frequent discounts, offers, and promo codes.

How Good Is the Costco Pizza?

You’ll agree with me that taste buds are different. And what is “good” for me may be different for you. Generally speaking, though, the Costco pizza is just as good as other pizzerias.

The cooking is different based on where you’re located. Of course, Costco’s branches use a similar method to cook the pizza, but the chefs are different from one region to another, some of whom may use different ingredients.

The objective is to emulate a New York-style pizza. As a result, the sauce is tomato-based, and the crust is crispy, flexible, and foldable.

The only downside with the Costco pizza is the lack of options. Unlike Domino’s or Pizza Hut, Costco pizza wasn’t meant to specialize in a variety of pizzas. The Costco pizza is incredible, nonetheless. [Costco Pizza Calories & Nutrition Facts]

Final Thoughts

To wrap things up, Costco offers three main pizza varieties – pepperoni, cheese, and a combo that contains meat and veggies.

The pizza at Costco is delicious and tasty, with a crispy crust and foldable slices. The pizza emulates a New York style on how it’s prepared, meaning its sauce is tomato-based.

Costco is famous for its gigantic 18-inch pizza, which beats the likes of Domino’s and Pizza Hut, whose pizzas are sized 12 inches in diameter.

Better yet, when you buy pizza at Costco, you don’t have to worry about delays. This is because Costco’s pizza market is very niche.