This Shoe Store Has Its Own Massive Food Court, And Shoppers Say The Menu And Pricing Remind Them Of Costco And Sam's Club

Food courts have long been a convenient, tasty feature in shopping malls and even some retail stores (think of Target's nearly-forgotten cafés and snack bars). However, most of these ventures haven't made such a blatant attempt to capitalize on the success of the food courts found in Costco and Sam's Club. That is, until a particular shoe company designed its own massive food court. The Skechers Food Spot, located adjacent to the brand's Vermont Avenue store in Gardena, California, was established in 2023, and customers say it's strikingly similar to the Sam's Club and Costco food courts.

If the menu's design and offerings look familiar, it's no accident. Skechers CEO Michael Greenberg has stated publicly that he purposefully emulated Costco's branding. In fact, if you look at pictures of each food court's menu side by side, it's hard to immediately determine which is which. Like the Costco and Sam's Club food courts, the Skechers Food Spot sells pizza, hot dogs, salads, fountain sodas, churros, and ice cream. However, its expanded and slightly more elevated menu includes Nathan's brand hot dogs, Angus beef smash burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. And unlike Costco's food court, it does serve French fries.

Its prices are also elevated compared to Costco's famously low food court prices. As of 2026, an 18" cheese pizza is $18, while a pepperoni is $20, compared to Costco's $9.95. A slice of cheese is $3 and a slice of pepperoni is $3.50, while Costco's are $1.99 each. And a hot dog and soda will run you $5, a huge difference from Costco's iconic $1.50 combo.

Greenberg got the idea to open a food court at the brand's busiest store years before it came to fruition. His experience as a restaurant investor contributed to his dream of opening an in-store cafe similar to the Sam's Club and Costco food courts, but with more elevated fare. His vision was realized in May 2023, yet the restaurant opened without much press or attention. However, once it was written up in famed California publications like Eater and SFGate, and gained word-of-mouth traction via social media, it became incredibly popular.

All of its menu items are made onsite except French fries. Customers visit the food court before or after shopping at the Skechers store, but also make special trips there just to eat. Within a year of its opening, it was getting over 2,000 visitors each week. The food itself has earned positive reviews from both dedicated reviewers and shoppers.

The restaurant has four stars on Yelp and 4.4 stars on Google. While there don't seem to be current plans for new locations, a pinned post on the restaurant's official Instagram page, featuring a collaboration between The Food Spot, Memo Munchies, and The Woody Show, asks followers for suggestions in which city the dining establishment should next open. The Skechers Food Spot is open Monday through Saturday from 11AM to 8PM, and Sunday from 11AM to 7PM.