Yes, the Rumors Are True, Sushi Is About to Come to a Costco Near You

This news follows the massive success of its first sushi counter in Issaquah, Washington.

Following the success of Costco’s first continental U.S. sushi counter in its Issaquah, Washington location, CFO Richard Galanti announced on a Q2 earnings call in early March that the big box retailer will be adding more Kirkland Signature sushi counters to some of its stores nationwide.

According to a report by Today, Galanti said that it was not a new concept for the brand: Costco locations in many Asian markets — specifically Japan and South Korea — have been operating sushi counters for several years now. And the same goes for some branches in Hawaii.

“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,” he said during the call. He also revealed that two new sushi counter locations were already in the works and would open in the “very near future.”

Related: 5 Foolproof Sushi and Sake Pairings

Costco started working on its sushi counter concept for the continental U.S. market in October 2022, per the Seattle Times. The chain’s culinary team also flew to Japan to study with “rice masters” and tested recipes at its R&D kitchen not far from the Issaquah store. And when Kirkland Signature finally opened in June 2023, it was a near-immediate hit, garnering many fans who took to social media to express their delight. It was reported that "the Issaquah Costco has arguably become the most talked-about restaurant on the Eastside."

The frenzy it caused was also widely documented in multiple TikTok videos, showing how nearly everything, save for the poke bowls, would fly off the shelves:

This year’s news of expansion is no different either: When NBC announced it on X, a user called Jonno wrote, “I can’t wait to eat a Costco sized serving of Kirkland sushi.”

As of this writing, it is unclear which Costco branches — or how many of them — will open up sushi-making operations. As the Seattle Times reported last year, operating Kirkland Signature sushi counters requires considerable real estate to make room for a display case, a sushi station, and a rice room. So we can only presume that likely the brand’s larger stores will be bestowed with sushi counters.

And if the fish market doesn’t work out, the big box retailer can always fall back on selling gold.

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