Sam's Club vs Costco

Sam's Club adds Polish hot dogs to menu after Costco scraps them

Eun Kyung Kim

A food fight over Polish hot dogs has started, and Sam's Club just scored a major victory in the hearts, and stomachs, of many consumers.


After Costco sparked a national backlash after news broke last week that the chain planned to cut the Polish frank from its food-court menu, bulk retailer rival Sam’s Club stepped in and announced it would add the item to all of its café menus.

About 200 Sam’s Club locations already sell the quarter-pound Polish dogs, but now they will be offered at 99 cents each at all locations beginning July 23 “so people everywhere can get their fix,” the company said in a statement.

"You don’t have to be a Sam’s Club member to dine in the café," it noted.

Costco decided to scrap its Polish dog to make room for "healthier" choices, although it will continue to sell its regular all-beef frankfurter, a staple in its popular $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.

Even though Costco locations in California and other areas of the Northwest long phased out the Polish dogs — and some places elsewhere in the country never even served it in the first place — the decision to remove the Polish kielbasa prompted some anger on social media.

“You are ruining my life. I don’t want to buy polish dogs in bulk I want to buy one as I walk out the door. Why are you doing this?” one person lamented on Twitter.

A representative from Sam's Club confirmed to TODAY Food that that company's addition of the Polish dog was indeed a direct response to Costco's removal of a Polish dog from its menu.

"Yes, Sam’s Club wanted to make sure people everywhere could get their Polish dog fix and at a great value," the company told TODAY Food.