Why The Costco Business Center Opens Earlier Than The Regular Warehouse

If you ever wonder who's shopping at Costco before sunrise, here's your answer: The people fueling your neighborhood's economy. While most of us are still hitting snooze, the doors to Costco Business Center are already open, before your coffee maker finishes its cycle.

Costco Business Centers are designed to meet the needs of small businesses, offices, food truck crews, and any independent operators who need to stock up before they open up. That's why most Business Centers open at 7 a.m., a full three hours earlier than the typical Costco warehouse. The main reason is that timing matters for small businesses. Early hours allow restaurant owners, caterers, food truck operators, janitorial services, bodega and convenience store buyers to get in, load up, and get out before the workday begins or their own doors open. According to Costco's official site, this schedule is built around the priorities of their core customers, the people who run on deadlines and can't afford to wait until 10 a.m. to start shopping.

When you enter, you'll notice the main difference between a Costco Business Center and a standard Costco location. The layout and selection look more like a supply depot than a neighborhood superstore. Think full cases of coffee, industrial-size bags of flour, to-go containers, giant rolls of paper towels, and freezer sections packed with bulk proteins. But even at the Business Center, Costsco has some hidden Easter eggs. Look closely and you might even find whole New Zealand lamb.

The Business Center's early-bird strategy is rooted in Costco's own history. When the first Price Club — the company that would merge with Costco — opened in San Diego in 1976, it wasn't meant for everyday families to buy jumbo-sized pantry items. It was a warehouse designed for small businesses, which could save money by buying in bulk. Costco continued this tradition after the merger, keeping the business community at the heart of their model even as regular warehouses expanded to attract households and "super-shoppers." The Business Centers are, in a sense, a throwback to Costco's original mission: Helping businesses thrive by giving them first crack at stock and the best prices. Early opening times are a practical extension of that original service promise.

You don't have to be an official business owner to shop at the Business Center, and for regular members, the early hours can still be a hidden advantage: Lighter crowds and speedy shopping before the regular warehouse gets busy. But for restaurant managers who need 40 pounds of onions by 8 a.m., or café owners restocking before the morning rush, that 7 a.m. opening can be the difference between a smooth start and a day derailed by running out of the basics.