Costco giveth, and Costco taketh away — there is no crueler truth for customers of this warehouse store chain who often fall in love with items, only to have them discontinued, never to return again (we see you, Polish food court hot dog). But it seems that this time, perhaps, Costco listened to the mourning and wailing and may have brought back a favorite food court item: the Hot Turkey & Provolone sandwich. Spotted at a Eugene, Oregon location and posted up on Reddit, fans of this food court delight were unanimous in their joy; “Oh please god,” one commenter said in response to the post stating it was back, as another shouted, “THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
Why was this sandwich so beloved? It featured sliced turkey, provolone cheese, fresh onions and tomatoes, and a basil-garlic mayo — and all this came served up between two pieces of a sliced toasted torta roll. Oh, and it cost a mere $3.99, so the price was right, and the taste was great, according to customers. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was taken away, but at least in one store, it has made its triumphant return (though for almost double the price).
Costco correcting old wrongs?
After taking away the OG Hot Turkey & Provolone sandwich, Costco may have tried to replace it with a new offering; in February 2024, news leaked of a Turkey & Swiss sandwich that would be joining the food court menu. This sandwich came on a split ciabatta roll and was filled with sliced turkey, Swiss cheese, a sun-dried tomato spread, green leaf lettuce, and mayo and mustard. The bread was, notably, not toasted, it cost $6.99, and the crowd went mild over it for the most part (though there were a few more vehement responses).
“If it’s not going through a panini press[,] I don’t think most people will be interested,” one Redditor commented. Hard agree.
Another more virulent poster wrote, “Looks dry, no thanks.” Still another lamented, “All I want is my turkey pesto provolone[,] damnit[sic]!”
Did Costco bring the original sandwich back due to the grumblings on social media? Will its comeback spread to stores nationwide? And will hungry customers decide that the Hot Turkey & Provolone is worth the $6.99 price point this time around (or will it go the way of Kirkland Signature Peppermint Bark)? Only time will tell, but there is a rumor that it will be returning nationwide sometime in March 2025.
