What Happens To Costco Food Court Leftovers?

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At Costco, shoppers are tempted by more than just affordable bulk groceries. The warehouse retailer's food court menu is also a major draw thanks to tasty fare like pizza and chicken bakes. Costco's economical hot dog and soda combos are particularly popular among members, and the chain reportedly sold over 245.1 million combos in 2025 alone. With such a voluminous output, one naturally wonders how the store handles its leftover items. Unfortunately, that question is not easily answered. We turned to Reddit for some insight and found that policies may vary greatly from store to store. 

When a Redditor asked what Costco does with leftovers at the end of the night, one person replied, "Food pantry volunteer here. The local store donates all their food court leftovers to us." However, another commenter had a different experience. "We were told under NO circumstances were we allowed to donate anything, especially food," the former staff member explained. "That included both the bakery, the butcher section, and the food court." 

And lest you think employees got to score freebies at the end of the night, think again. Among the many weird rules Costco food court employees must follow is one that prevents them from taking unsold food home. According to an employee commenting in the thread, a manager at their store was disciplined for placing a leftover food court pizza in the breakroom.

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Food waste has long been a major problem in the U.S. As far back as 2010, the USDA estimated that up to 40% of our total food supply is wasted each year. So seeing stores toss seemingly good items is obviously concerning. However, some Costco locations may discard items out of an abundance of caution. A self-described former food service professional on Reddit explained, "Since food is prepared, there is only [a certain number] of hours to allow customers to consume. ... Any place would rather throw food in the trash than to risk a potential lawsuit (regardless of rules to protect donations)." Remember that cooked foods only have about two hours in the danger zone (i.e., between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit) before they pose a significant risk of illness due to bacterial growth.

Despite the confusion surrounding the chain's policies for leftover food court items, the big-box retailer has engaged in a lot of charitable giving. Thanks to its partnership with Feeding America, Costco's unsold bakery items often end up at food banks around the country. The store has also donated unsold fruit and vegetables to feed livestock and participates in many other charitable and community causes.