What Company Makes Costco's Kirkland Brand Frozen Pizza?
Costco, the wholesale club with a cult following, is known for many things. From its inexpensive and delicious food court offerings (the Costco hot dogs and strawberry sundaes are particular favorites) to its generous sample offerings, there are many reasons to visit Costco and stock up on their bulk-sized items. But perhaps one of Costco's biggest draws is its wide-ranging offering of in-store Kirkland branded items, which offer bulk-sized products often at a discounted price. Many Kirkland items, such as its bottled water, have acquired quite the cult following for their quality, while other items, such as its coffee, are known to be produced by big brands like Starbucks.
This gives the Kirkland label an appeal that goes beyond most store-label brands, further cementing Costco's reputation for providing quality, bulk-sized items to customers. So, with all of the name brands behind the Kirkland brand, which company makes Kirkland's frozen pizza? Well, unlike products such as Costco's coffee and canned tuna, which have featured widely reported collaborations with big brands, the company behind its frozen pizza is a bit more fuzzy.
Well as of 2012 at least, Palermo's frozen pizza made Costco's Kirkland brand frozen pizza. However, this was last confirmed twelve years ago. And a lot can change in over a decade. So the brand may have changed within that time. But this has not been confirmed or denied.
The company behind the pie
The connection between Kirkland brand frozen pizza and Palermo's pizza was confirmed in 2012, however, neither company has commented on the connection since then. However, it is notable that Costco no longer carries Palermo branded products at its locations, which might indicate that the producer of its frozen pizzas has changed. However, no change has been announced by either Costco or Palermo.
Palermo's Pizza includes several different frozen pizza brands including Screamin' Sicilian, Urban Pie, Connie's Pizza, and Surfer Boy Pizza. The Palermo brand originally started in Milwaukee in 1964, when Gaspare Fallucca and his wife Zina opened a bakery. The brand began manufacturing pizzas in 1979, and has since become a ubiquitous presence in many grocery stores, featuring various crusts, topping types, and pizza products. And whether or not it is the brand behind Kirkland's frozen pizza, you have likely already had a slice of Palermo's Pizza. Perhaps you will have to taste both and compare them for yourself.
Kirkland can keep a secret
Meanwhile, Costco is likely to remain mum on the topic, as the company often does regarding its Kirkland branded products. While some products, such as its prepacked coffee beans, are widely known to be associated with big brands, others remain rather mysterious. Kirkland's vodka, for example, has been the subject of rumors for years, with many consumers believing that Grey Goose is the brand behind the bottle. However, Grey Goose has repeatedly, and passionately, denied any connection between the two products. Still, the persistence of the rumor does point to the brand's quality of product.
And though Kirkland's frozen pizza doesn't have as avid a following as, say, its food court pizza, bottled water, or vodka, its frozen pizza does still have a pretty dedicated following, especially because of the pie's $2.25 per pizza price point, which is an undeniable bargain. However, its taste is somewhat polarizing, at least if you ask the internet. Some r/Costco Reddit users have called it bad " ... [e]ven by drunken frozen pizza standards", while others praised the product, calling it "pretty damn good by frozen pizza standards." With such widely varying accounts of this frozen pizza, you might just have to try a pie for yourself. And maybe you can suss out which brand stands behind the pie.