What Happened To Costco's Discontinued Combo Pizza?

All good things come to an end. While Costco's hot dog remains exempt from this rule (hopefully forever), the adage has held true for many of the wholesaler's most beloved food court offerings, from the churro to the Polish dog. However, if you were to ask members what menu item they miss the most, chances are a fair number of Costco's loyal customers would mention the combo pizza, which was discontinued in early 2020.

While the retailer still sells the pepperoni and cheese pies, which boast a shocking amount of mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan, the formerly popular combo pizza was piled high with tasty toppings. Comparable to a supreme pizza that you might order from a chain, the pie featured pepperoni, sausage, red onions, green peppers, black olives, and mushrooms. Between all the meat and veggies, the loaded combo pizza brought a ton of flavor to the table for a price of only $9.95 plus tax. After all, unlike pizza chains that might charge several dollars more for extra toppings, Costco's combo pizza cost the same as both the cheese and pepperoni pies.

It's unclear why Costco dropped the combo pizza from food court menus since the company seemingly never released a statement about the decision. However, its removal from food courts led disappointed people to call for the pie's return via a Change.org petition, which has reached over 18,000 signatures. Fortunately for fans of Costco's combo pizza, hopes of chowing down on a hefty slice again aren't lost.

In early 2024, rumors started circulating online about Costco's combo pizza making a return — but not to the food court. A Reddit thread posted in March by an alleged employee of the company teased the popular pie coming back as a take-and-bake pizza to be prepped and sold at the company's in-house delis. The post was deleted, which gave some doubts to the claim, but concrete, cheesy proof has since surfaced.

Only a few months later, in June 2024, a Reddit user posted photos of the new version being sold at a warehouse in Honolulu, Hawaii, although its unclear when it might be available at warehouses nationwide. However, the new combo pizza is distinct from the discontinued pie in a couple of ways. First, the new version appears rectangular rather than circular. While this might make it easier to bake in a non-commercial oven, it's unclear if the new combo pizza is the same size of the food court pies. But the most glaring difference is its higher cost. Unlike the previous $9.95 price tag, the ready-to-bake combo pizza is $16.99, just over $7 more expensive than the original version. Overall reactions seem fairly mixed according to comments on the online thread, mostly due to the annoyance of the steeper price combined with the inconvenience of having to bake and slice it yourself at home — a reasonable complaint considering how tiring a shopping trip to Costco can be. 

If the new take-and-bake doesnt appeal and you've been yearning for Costco's combo pizza since it left the menu, you can satisfy your cravings by taking a trip abroad. According to a Reddit post, the original pie is still available at the warehouse's food courts in Japan. The combo pizza sold across the Pacific might have a couple of slight differences, such as the specific type of onions that top it, but it's more or less the same hot-and-ready version that you can't find in the United States anymore. Plus, Costco food courts in Japan feature some other special items, including the bulgogi bake (chicken bake, who?) and various flavors of soft serve. And, of course, the signature hot dog and soda combo is available abroad, too.

Japan's unique menu is indicative of a larger trend for Costcos around the world to serve different delicious items, catering to local palates and cuisines. The company's food courts in Korea, for instance, have all kinds of enticing options that American members might jump at the opportunity to try, from ricotta fruit salad to BLT sandwiches to iced coffee to, yes, the combo pie. They even sell a Korean BBQ-inspired twist on the cheap, cheesy pizza: bulgogi pizza. Clearly, a global tour of Costco food courts could be a fun, flavorful endeavor for serious fans of the wholesaler. Not only can you enjoy Costco's original combo pizza, but also try new and creative food court items.