Customers Pressure Costco Into Bringing Back A Favorite Item

No more customized sheet cakes at Costco turned out to be one pandemic-related sacrifice too many for the warehouse store's members. Costco stopped offering half-sheet cakes in June, but on July 21, an intrepid reporter for NBC Bay Area found the half-sheet cake ordering station was up and running again at the local Costco (via Twitter). Back on May 29, Costco had announced on Facebook that customers could no longer get the half-sheet cake. Judging from the comments to that post, the customers weren't happy. Costco's two sheet cakes — white with vanilla cheesecake mousse filling, and chocolate with chocolate mousse filling — apparently are not to be missed (via The New York Times). One customer commented under Costco's fateful Facebook post, "PLLEEEEEEEEEASSE bring back the half sheet cakes!! Best cakes ever! Worth the price of membership on its own! Birthdays are disappointing without one!!"

A lot of social-media commenters assumed Costco stopped offering the sheet cake because it was only appropriate for large gatherings, which were not allowed in a lot of places because of the pandemic — the half-sheet cake serves 48 people. "You can very much enjoy one of the sheet cakes without a large social gathering (drive by Birthday celebrations or family-only gathering)," a commenter wrote under Costco's June 30 Facebook post promoting 10-inch round cakes. 

Hundreds of people expressed their disappointment over Costco's decision to stop offering its half-sheet cake by signing a petition on Change.org. "My family of five eats an entire cake in a few days. Don't implement policy, Costco, just sell us the cake!!" one petition-signer said.

The real reason Costco had discontinued the sheet cake may have been to make sure its employees were social distancing. Today had ferreted out a Facebook comment by a Costco representative, explaining the decision: "To help limit personal contact and create more space for social distancing, Costco has reduced service in some departments. At this time, we are not making sheet cakes for special order. Thank you for understanding." Apparently, or hopefully, Costco has figured out since then how to prepare sheet cakes safely. Never let it be said that big warehouse stores don't listen to their customers — unless, of course, you were a fan of the Polish dog Costco pulled from its food court menu. We're still missing those.