Costco's Coca-Cola Switch in Brentwood Food Court Sparks Social Media

Costco's switch to Coca-Cola in the Brentwood food court stirs social media debate, especially over drinks.

Customers of Costco have noticed a significant shift taking place at the wholesaler's locations. When an Instagram user noticed Costco making changes to their food court at a recently opened branch in Brentwood, California, a frenzy broke out.

One noteworthy element of the Brentwood store, which had its grand opening on March 7, is that it has a Coca-Cola machine instead of a Pepsi machine. The new store was the 'first' to include a machine with Coca-Cola drinks in its food courts, according to a Costco insider Instagram user.

Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Coke Zero, Raspberry Fuze Iced Tea, and Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade are the six drink options available on the machine. Many Instagram users who have expressed disapproval of the soda alteration have demanded that Coke be "cancelled" or refused to consume them.

After Costco CEO Ron Vachris announced that the company would be removing Coca-Cola items from food courts in January, social media went wild. During a shareholder meeting, Vachris announced that Costco would return to Coca-Cola for its food court fountain beverages this summer. The retailer has been discussing the removal of Pepsi drinks from its U.S. locations since the previous year.

After years of selling Coca-Cola products in its food courts, Costco started selling Pepsi beverages in 2013. The chain of warehouse stores disclosed that the 2013 drink switch was carried out in order to maintain its $1.50 soda and hot dog offer. After quietly changing its menu and regulations, Costco made news a few times.

It costs $9.99, or about $7.40 in US dollars, for an eight-piece California crab roll dish. Social media was in disarray as a result of Americans' frustration at seeing crab rolls in Canada but not in the US.