There are only three things on this earth that are certain: Death, taxes, and paying $1.50 at Costco for a delicious hot dog and an ice-cold soda.
The combo is so legendary that it even has its own Wikipedia page:
The dog-and-coke has remained at the same price point literally since Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Costco has maintained the price as a deliberate retail policy:
When asked why the price of the hot dog was significant to him, Jim Sinegal said, "Because everybody talks about it. People look at that hot dog and say a buck fifty, this is unbelievable." He continued, "We're known for that hot dog. That's something you don't mess with."
And yet ... and YET ... are they getting ready to mess with it?
Since 1985, there have been two constants at Costco: Richard Galanti has been chief financial officer and the famous hot dog and soda combo has cost $1.50. ...
Galanti on Friday retired after 40 years as one of the wholesale retailer's top executives. In an interview with Bloomberg, he addressed the fate of the famous frank whose career will now outlive his own.
Asked if anything would happen to the iconic combo once he was gone, Galanti had a succinct response.
"It's probably safe for a while," he said.
For a while?
"For a while?????"
That's a shocking equivocation. And not just because the dog hasn't changed prices for four decades. Not very long ago, Galanti said that Costco would literally reorganize the business around keeping the hot dog cheap:
During a 2022 earnings call, he joked that "lightning just struck me" after he was asked if the hot dog would raise its prices.
Galanti said at the time that Costco would leverage the other parts of its business to keep the ¼-pound all-beef frank at the same price it has had since the Reagan administration.
That's true dedication right there. That shows a commitment to something bigger than yourself.
But now we've got this "safe for a while" thing. And I don't like that one little bit.
If they try to raise that price, I think I may just show up to Costco with my dukes up.
Some things you don't mess with!
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