The Busiest Days To Get Pizza At The Costco Food Court, According To Employees

Nothing is quite as satisfying as ordering a slice of Costco pizza, or a whole pie if you're feeding a group. What's not so great is that sometimes the lines get so long that you're left waiting for longer than expected. By the time you get the slice, you've already filled up on a hot dog and a drink, or maybe just asked for a refund and gone somewhere else. Luckily, Costco employees are sharing tips most shoppers don't know about online, including when it's the busiest time to get pizza, so you can plan accordingly.

According to employees over on Reddit, the busiest days are Thursday through Sunday — essentially the extended weekend, which makes sense since kids are off school and most adults are off work. The lines can get even busier during major holidays or even special events like the Super Bowl. It can be stressful trying to order a few pies knowing full well that there can be delays of an hour or more.

On a typical weekend, stores can pump out anywhere from 200 to 500 pizzas per day, and even more than double that amount on holidays, according to workers on Reddit. Additionally, wait times can vary drastically between location. But, generally, you can expect to wait between 10 and 30 minutes for a whole pizza. On busy weekends, wait times can stretch anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. When stores are especially swamped, be prepared to wait up to an hour or even longer. However, if you know how to time your order right, you can avoid the worst of the food court chaos. 

While steering clear of the food court during peak hours can help shorten wait times, some shoppers argue that it's actually better to dine at Costco's food court when it's busy since the food is constantly being made fresh. Still, even during lunch, dinner, weekend, and holiday rushes, there are some ways to avoid extra-long wait times. For example, food court employees recommend calling in to check the wait time or even scheduling your pizza your order ahead of time. This is especially helpful if you are ordering multiple pies at once. However, this isn't a foolproof approach since some locations may be too swamped to answer the phone when they're busy. 

Another way you can try to save time is by ordering the fewest amount of custom pizzas. Sticking to whole pepperoni or cheese instead of half cheese and half pepperoni or making any special requests gives you a lower chance of experiencing delays as pies can be more quickly prepared.

If you didn't call ahead or simply can't get through on the phone, there's another Costco food court hack that'll save time. Order your pizza at the food court before you start shopping, instead of after you've gone through the checkout. Most people take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour shopping at Costco, or as little as 15 minutes for quick trips. That's usually plenty of time for your pizza to be prepared while you browse the warehouse. With a little planning and smart timing, you can spend less time waiting around and more time enjoying that giant slice of Costco pizza.