Ordering Costco Pizza? You Need To Know This Convenient Checkout Hack
When the Costco food court area looks like a feeding frenzy fueled by $1.50 hot dogs, the thought of getting in line to order becomes quite unappealing. Chances are, the fresh-baked aroma of pizza still calls to you, tempting you to bring a pepperoni-loaded pie back home. While you thought you knew everything about the Costco food court, there's one ordering hack that can save you some time waiting in line.
Once you've completed your shopping and head to checkout, your food order can be placed with the cashier. This can be used for any menu item, including whole pizzas. Here, you will pay for the food, and then once checkout is complete, you can head to the food court, where you'll show your receipt at the counter and pick up your order. This should save you time waiting in line to order and pay. That said, you may still have to wait for the food to be prepared, as it can take 15 minutes, and upwards of 30 if it's a busy day, for the pizza to be ready.
On days when the food court is mellow, you could load your groceries into the car during this downtime and hopefully only have to wait a few extra minutes. Or, order pizza at a register when you first step into the store and ask the employee if it's possible to have the pizza prepared in 30 to 45 minutes — some stores do accommodate this. If shopping with another person, have them order at the register when you're 15 to 30 minutes away from checkout.
Other pizza ordering hacks at Costco
Some users on the r/Costco subreddit report that this hack always works at their local Costco warehouse, while other customers in different regions state that it doesn't work where they live. Even though Costco has a super fast process for making pizza, know that there are a few other ordering tips to save you time and dealing with crowds.
After finding a parking spot, consider calling ahead to order a pizza — the food court has its own phone number. This is ideal for shorter shopping trips that won't take more than 30 minutes; on longer shopping trips, you could always call from inside the store to time it with when you'll be done shopping. If you only want pizza and don't plan on shopping, call before you leave the house.
Many Costco locations throughout the country have implemented self-ordering food court kiosks. These are intended to speed up the process by eliminating the waiting in line to order and pay. Customer reviews are mixed on whether these are actually faster; sometimes, the line to pick up the pizza after ordering can get long. If this is the case, avoid the self-checkout kiosk and pick-up line, and instead pay with cash at the window. You should be able to pay and leave with a pizza (if they're ready) or a slice faster. And for a better-tasting Costco pizza, remember to order it well done.