๐๐ FORGET THE DATING APPS โ COSTCO IS THE NEW PLUG FOR LOVE
Singles are ditching the apps and shooting their shot between the rotisserie chickens and the $1.50 hot dog line. "Costco dating" is taking over TikTok and Reddit. ๐
9/17/20261 min read


Dating apps had a good run. The people are officially over it. ๐
Singles on TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram are sharing stories of meeting their person the old-fashioned way โ wandering the aisles of Costco, splitting samples, and locking eyes in the food court line. They've even got a name for it: "Costco dating." ๐๐
๐ The Meet-Cute Spot
Forget the bar. Forget the coffee shop. The new singles mixer is the Costco food court โ specifically that legendary $1.50 hot dog and soda combo line. People are striking up conversations over quarter-pound dogs like it's 1995. And honestly? A hot dog date for a buck-fifty is the most recession-proof romance ever invented. ๐ญ
โ The New "Green Flags"
The internet, being the internet, drew up the official Costco-dating scouting report:
- ๐ณ Paid membership = commitment. Nobody drops $65 on a membership they don't plan to use. That's more loyalty than most situationships.
- ๐ฆ Bulk buying = planning ahead. Thirty-six rolls of paper towels says "I think about the future."
- ๐ Cart full of essentials = responsibility. If they meal-prep in bulk, they probably won't ghost you.
๐ฃ๏ธ What People Are Saying
USA Today rounded up the viral stories, and the kicker says it all: singles are "leaving with both a hot dog and a phone number." One poster put it perfect โ you came for the rotisserie chicken and left with a whole relationship. ๐ฑ
๐ง SNUBBZ TAKE
Dating apps got y'all tired โ so people went back to meeting the old-fashioned wayโฆ in the warehouse. A Costco cart full of paper towels now counts as a green flag. ๐ญ The game done changed. Would YOU let somebody bag you at Costco? Sound off. โฌ๏ธ
Source: USA Today (2026-09-16): https://www.usatoday.com/story/shopping/trending/2026/09/16/is-costco-the-newest-dating-hotspot/91792461007/