This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
In light of the viral trend of fast food CEOs sampling the company’s products, Costco’s CEO Ron Vachris joined the party to test out the warehouse retailer’s fan-favorite hot dog on Wednesday.
Vachris grabbed what has become a staple meal deal for the company, a $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, and scarfed it down inside one of Costco’s many food courts.
“$1.50? For this hot dog?” Vachris said with a Costco hot dog in hand. “The hot dog price will not change as long as I’m around.”
One of the driving factors for Costco’s beloved menu item has been the company’s ability to maintain its low price amid years of inflation and rising food costs. Famously, the founder of Costco, Jim Sinegal, told the former CEO Craig Jelinek that if the price of the hot dog was raised, he would kill him. Since then, the price has remained unchanged.
“I came to (Sinegal) once, and I said, ‘Jim, we can’t sell this hot dog for a buck fifty. We are losing our rear ends,’” Jelinek said in 2018. “And he said, ‘If you raise the effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out.’”
In 2024, the title of CEO changed hands as it was passed on to Vachris, who became the company’s third CEO after working his way up from being a forklift driver, according to The Seattle Times.
Costco members across the nation can sigh in relief as Vachris reaffirmed his goal to keep the price of the hot dog combo unchanged.