Costco brought back a popular food court item and fans are ‘tearing up’

Recent sightings in the eatery of one of America’s most popular big-box stores is a sign that nature is healing — or, at the very least, food courts are.

On April 30, rumblings appeared on Reddit that a missing Costco fan-favorite hot dog topping — chopped raw onions — would be returning.

“The onions are returning soon to the PNW and hopefully to all costcos soon,” the Reddit user wrote in the r/Costco subreddit, sharing an image of a flier heralding the return of the crunchy hot dog fixing to the Pacific Northwest.

“Condiment Update: Diced Onions Returning,” the flier reads.

The flier also says that individual cups of onion will be held under refrigeration inside the food court, and that the onions will be available to Costco members upon request.

And Costco confirmed that the rumors are indeed true.

“Yes we can confirm that Diced Onions are returning soon,” Costco management wrote in an email to TODAY.com.

For those unfamiliar with Costco lore: After shopping for 67 ounces of Nutella, 28 pounds of mac and cheese or a five-pound peanut butter chocolate pie, many folks head to the food court for the chain’s beloved $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, topping their dog with their choice of ketchup, yellow mustard, sweet pickle, sauerkraut and/or raw diced onion.

But in 2020, the onions, along with the entire food court and even free samples, were put on indefinite hiatus as a result of the pandemic and resulting shutdown.

In 2021, as states began to loosen their restrictions, the reintroduction of the chain’s beloved chicken bake heralded the food court’s return. The food court’s healing journey later saw the return of ice cream, smoothies and other items to the menu, in addition to bringing back tables and chairs.

Although Costco didn’t confirm an exact date, Reddit users have noted that the “P10 — W1” date on the flier means May 8 in Costco’s internal code.

Is there really a passionate fanbase for Costco's chopped onions? If you take a look around social media, you'll see that, yes, there most certainly is. People have been anxiously awaiting the item's return for years.

“This pandemic won’t be over until Costco puts the onions back out for the hot dogs,” one person tweeted in March 2022.

Another allium aficionado went a step further, smuggling their own onions into the food court.

“Got tired of waiting for Costco to bring the onions back so we brought our own,” posted one Redditor in July 2022.

As the news of the onions' return broke online, folks took to social media to share their excitement.

"I did it!" wrote popular TikToker @costcohotfinds in the caption of her video, highlighting a recent onion-filled trip to Costco.

“Ngl, I’ve taken my own chopped onions in with me before. I’m thrilled they’re bringing them back,” someone commented on Instagram.

“This made me tear up, been waiting a while asking employees when I go sometimes,” wrote another Instagram commenter, adding that they also almost took their own onions in but decided to be patient. “Funny how we celebrate the little things in life that mean so much. Thank you, #Costco.”

“It’s the one thing to make me feel a little less guilty about eating hot dogs, so yes, I want my onions!” wrote one Redditor.

“I have been full of doubt but my prayers have been answered: diced onions are back for hot dogs at Costco,” tweeted someone else. “I am full of god’s love. And onions.”

But despite the celebrations, Costco customers are still hoping for the return of a few other food court favorites: sauerkraut, Polish dogs and combination pizza. Perhaps the onions will pave the way for their renaissance.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com