Costco's Billionaire Co-Founder Once Said He Would 'Kill' the CEO Who Wanted to Raise the Price of Its Hot-Dog-and-Soda Combo. Now, the Company Reveals Its Stance Amid Inflation.The $1.50 combo made its debut in 1985.

ByAmanda Breen

Costco's customer-first approach has helped the wholesale giant cultivate aloyal fan baseover the years — one that expects reliable membership perks like the $1.50 hot-dog-and-soda combo, which has remained at that price point since 1985.

The company's co-founderJim Sinegalevenonce famously said he'd "kill"Costco's current CEO Craig Jelinek if he hiked the hot-dog-and-soda combo's price, and it appears that message was heard loud and clear, perMarketWatch: Despite inflation, chief financial officer Richard Galanti has no plans to raise the price.

Related:TikTok Is Losing It Over Designer Finds at Costco

It was 2012 when Jelinek suggested increasing the combo's price. Sinegal's response, according to the CEO? "If you raise the [price of the] effing hot dog, I will kill you. Figure it out."

So perhaps it's no surprise that when Galanti was asked during a presentation on Costco's fourth-quarter-fiscal results which categories it's cutting back on — and if the beloved combo is on the chopping block — he held true to thecompany's ideals.

“我们真的不这样看,”他说,according to a transcript on S&P Global Market Intelligence. "I think the thing I mentioned earlier about there [being] some businesses that are doing well with margin, like [the] gas business, [in] a smaller way — in the travel business, those things help us be more aggressive in other areas, or, as you mentioned, hold the price on the hot dog and the soda a little longer — forever."

Related:Costco Is Becoming One of the Best Places to Buy a Car Thanks to This Huge Perk

CostcoWholesale Corporation is up nearly 5% year over year.

Wavy Line
Amanda Breen

Entrepreneur Staff

Features Writer

Amanda Breen is a features writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate of Barnard College and received an MFA in writing at Columbia University, where she was a news fellow for the School of the Arts.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Making a Change

Get a Lifetime of Tailored Piano Instruction From This $150 AI App

Perhaps the best part: Learn to play on your own time.

Business News

Doctor's Office Receptionist Arrested for Allegedly Stealing $44,000 From Patients in Square Payment Scam

According to police, the receptionist stole from over 75 patients.

Cryptocurrency / Blockchain

I Want To Buy My Groceries With Crypto — So What's Stopping Me?

There are several ways to make crypto's future less daunting to reach.

Growing a Business

Everyone Wants Meaningful Work. But What Does That Look Like, Really?

More people than ever are searching for work that has meaning. But nobody can agree on how to find it, provide it, or even define it. So we set out to try.

Business News

Gap Poaches Top Mattel Exec as Its New CEO in a Bid to Boost Declining Sales

Richard Dickson was hired for his expertise in brand transformation.

Cryptocurrency / Blockchain

Is Cryptocurrency the Future of Real Estate Transactions? Here's What You Should Know.

Discussing cryptocurrency's influence on the real estate industry and what the future may look like.