Costco is opening sushi bars in its US stores — could that happen in Canada?
It feels borderline blasphemous to return from a Costco trip without eating a hot dog, a slice of pizza, or another one of its iconic and cheap food court items. But with summer approaching, what if you could get some delicious sushi to cool off instead?
You may have picked up the odd run-of-the-mill grocery sushi tray for a quick office lunch before, but what if it was made fresh at an in-house sushi bar with high-quality ingredients?
This is already a reality for some lucky US-based Costco members, and it’s coming to more stores.
Costco made headlines in North America after its chief financial officer, Richard Galanti, told investors about opening Kirkland Signature sushi bars at some US Costco locations.
According to a report from Today.com, Galanti was addressing stakeholders in the company’s Q2 earnings call on March 7 when he touched on the subject.
He discussed the success of the US’s first-ever Kirkland Signature sushi bar, which opened last year in Issaquah — a neighbourhood in Seattle, Washington — close to Costco’s headquarters.
As a port city with plenty of fresh seafood, Seattle is a great pilot location for a sushi bar. As soon as it opened last year, videos showcasing it began popping up on TikTok.
“The sushi program has proven to be a category where we can be successful in both quality and price, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of that in the future,” Galanti shared, adding that shoppers will see Kirkland Signature sushi bars open at least two more US stores.
Where will that be? We don’t know yet.
The following video shows California rolls with crab being sold by weight — US$14.99 (C$20.30) per lb, to be exact — at the Issaquah location.
For US$8.99 (C$12.20), shoppers can get a pound of salmon poke with rice and avocado.
@mag___s If you dont hear from me for a while im in a sushi coma #costco #costcofinds #cosstcosushi #sushi #costcotiktok ♬ original sound – maggie
In her review of the Seattle location’s wares, Costco shopper Luna, who goes by @teaspoonofyum on TikTok, said the sushi tasted better than other grocery store kinds, and a pound would be enough to feed two people.
@teaspoonofyum My local Costco in Issaquah, WA now sells sushi! 🍣 Watch until the end for my (non-expert) review! 😆 Follow me here and on my IG for more fun content! ❤️ #costcosushi #issaquah #seattlefoodie #foodreview #costcofinds ♬ original sound – Luna
Could Costco sushi bars come to Canada?
It’s unclear, but we can hope.
Costco execs have not shared plans for similar sushi counter trial runs in the country.
Though Costco does sell sushi in Canadian stores, it is not made in-house with the Kirkland Signature brand and is likely more in line with what you would expect from bargain grocery store sushi.
One of Costco Canada’s existing packaged sushi suppliers is Snowfox. If you haven’t seen their sushi in-store, here’s what it looks like.
Instacart
Costco Canada is headquartered in Ottawa, but BC’s proximity to ocean waters and Costco’s US headquarters make it the ideal area to try something like this.
Per a menu shared by The Seattle Times last year, scallops, tuna, shrimp, and other saltwater ingredients are heavily featured.
Nova Scotia and PEI have some of the best seafood in the True North. However, there are only two Costcos in the former and none in the latter, which immediately limits speculation.
According to the chain’s website, Ontario has the highest number of Costco warehouses (40) in Canada, followed by Quebec (23), Alberta (19), and BC (14). Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan each have three stores.
There are none in the Canadian territories.
Daily Hive has contacted Costco asking if we can expect Kirkland Signature sushi counters in Canada in the near future. We will update this story when it responds.
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