The Real Reason Costco Discontinued Its Food Court Ice Cream Bars

Ah, the Costco food court. The giant pizza slices. The hot dogs, whose fans included none other than the iconic grande dame of French cooking, Julia Child (via Delish). The made-from-scratch, Hot Pocket-esque chicken bake. So much satisfaction, well-earned after pushing a giant cart miles around everyone's favorite mega-retailer. 

Costco food court fans lost a menu favorite in 2013, however, and many are still lamenting the discontinuation of the made-to order signature ice cream bar: delicious vanilla ice cream on a stick, hand-dipped in chocolate before your eyes and coated with toasted almonds by what surely must be an angel dressed as a Costco employee.

Adults loved them. Kids loved them (they could skip the almonds). And selling for just $1.50, the ice cream bars were wildly popular. So, why were they unceremoniously dropped from the food court menu?

Costco didn't reveal the reason the ice cream bars were taken off the food court menu, but Regional SoCal news source Victor Valley News Group reported that rising food costs, for dairy and almonds, specifically, made it unfeasible for Costco to keep offering it. The reaction? Well, it went something like this on Reddit: "Don't care, double the price, hire dedicated staff and assist with dipping robots. I want my damn dipped ice cream bars with almonds!!!" A Facebook page aiming to change the retailer's mind has over 1,200 followers, and a Change.org petition has 1,100 signatures and counting. A new soft serve has recently been added to the menu, but, not surprisingly, hasn't generated the buzz of the bars.

The only consolation? Costco sells a Kirkland version of beloved hand-dipped classic in the freezer aisle ($11.59 for an 18-count box ). In a forum dedicated to the product, one Redditor lamented, "Please don't get the old hand dipped bars confused with the Kirkland brand bars in the freezer section. Although the Kirkland bars are very good, they really are a whole other product and imo don't compare whatsoever." So while it might not be as tasty or satisfying as watching the Costco food court employee hand dip your own personal ice cream to order, if you are craving nostalgia, these may hit the spot.