The West Coast Costco Food Court Drink Options Reddit Wishes Were Available Nationwide

From the classic hot dog and drink combo to the beloved chicken bake, Costco's memorable food court is known for cheap, consistent eats. But what you won't find at certain West Coast-based Costcos are fountain sodas with real sugar. Since 2018, Costco food courts in both San Francisco and Seattle have only served diet and sugar-free sodas from the soda fountains. This isn't Costco trying to push a health agenda on its shoppers. Rather, this change was made in response to taxation by city governments.

In 2016, San Francisco passed a Sugary Drinks Tax, which charges a penny per fluid ounce on the distribution of drinks sweetened with sugar to encourage healthier citizens. Similarly, Seattle enacted its own Sweetened Beverage Tax in 2018. Rather than pass these taxes onto the customer, Costco has decided to stop selling sugar-sweetened fountain drinks at these West Coast locations altogether, and some Redditors across the country are jealous.

While, of course, there are some Seattle and San Francisco residents who aren't thrilled about the lack of sugary beverage options, many Redditors from other parts of the country wish they had the same sugar-free options in their Costco food courts. On a Costco subreddit thread, one Reddit user declared that they would "love Sprite Zero" at their local Costco, with another Redditor responding, "That would be great. I gave up sugary soda years ago, and I wish all fountains were like this, zero sugar." Others users with health issues also noted their own appreciation for Costco's commitment to sugarless drinks.

It's true that Costco shoppers aren't always happy with the food court fountain drinks, but it's not only soda drinkers that are envious of these West Coast Costco food court fountain drink options: iced tea drinkers are as well. "I would love an [unsweetened] tea option," exclaimed Reddit user user, with another Redditor agreeing, adding that, "as someone who doesn't do sweet beverages, unsweetened iced tea is my go-to!" Others from the Costco subreddit wish there were more sugar-free options from the soda fountain. "I would have [preferred] some no artificial sweetener options like [favored] seltzer water," added one Reddit user. Naturally, many other users echoed this same anti-artificial sweetener sentiment.

If Costco's Seattle and San Francisco locations were to serve sugar-based fountain drinks, they'd be forced to find some way to pass those additional taxes onto the customer. Considering the change in fountain drink options, it appears that the company isn't too eager to do that. Known for keeping its food court prices so low, especially the famed $1.50 soda and hot dog combo, another Redditor noted that if those Costco food court locations were to serve sugar-based fountain drinks, the company may have to raise the price of the hot dog combo, which, as we all know, founder Jim Sinegal is adamantly against.