I'm sure some of you savvy Costco members already know about the Costco Business Centers. They are a cross between a Costco and a Restaurant Depot and a Staples and a Smart & Final. These stores cater to business owners and especially restaurant owners in a way that normal Costcos do not. Costco runs its business delivery program out of these locations, and as a Costco member, you can shop at the Business Centers, too.
You'll find some interesting things here that you won't find at your neighborhood store. Here are some photos I took, just to give you a sense of what to expect.
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Looks like a normal Costco on the outside, but there is no food court, no tire center, no pharmacy, no optical department, and no photo department. (Some Business Centers have a food court; Hayward does not.)
As I entered the store, the difference between this and a normal Costco became immediately apparent. Instead of a big selection of TVs and computers, there was a display of $500 panini presses and other restaurant equipment, stainless steel shelving, and more.
I started walking the aisles...believe it or not, the entire left side of this aisle is just disposable food service gloves. Every size and type imaginable. They actually wrapped around to the next aisle!
Aisle after aisle of pizza boxes, paper cups, plastic silverware, to-go boxes, paper bags, trash bags, kitchen knives, cutting boards, mixing bowls, utensils, scales, cash registers, neon open signs, timecard machines, chefs clothing, mops, brooms, cleaning supplies...it just went on and on. Every individual serving size of chip, candy, and snack food. Every soda pop and sports drink imaginable.
When I got to the back of the store, I found the meat department. Yeah, that's what you're interested in, right?
Hamburger, anyone? Each chub weighs about 10 pounds.
Pork ribs. Spareribs available whole and St. Louis style. Pork loin ribs, of course. And spare rib brisket bones, two to a package, for $1.79/lb...never seen those sold like that before.
You want to try chuck roll like I did a few years ago? They've got it.
USDA Choice briskets are available whole or flats. The beef ribs didn't look so great.
Pork butts available boneless like a regular Costco, or bone-in, too. Nice!
There's a big walk-in refrigerated room, a lot like Restaurant Depot, where you can buy by-the-case meats. The green labels are all USDA Choice whole briskets. You get a small price break when you buy a case.
Here's a close-up of the details and pricing.
Case after case of spareribs and pork loins.
Continued...
You'll find some interesting things here that you won't find at your neighborhood store. Here are some photos I took, just to give you a sense of what to expect.
--
Looks like a normal Costco on the outside, but there is no food court, no tire center, no pharmacy, no optical department, and no photo department. (Some Business Centers have a food court; Hayward does not.)
As I entered the store, the difference between this and a normal Costco became immediately apparent. Instead of a big selection of TVs and computers, there was a display of $500 panini presses and other restaurant equipment, stainless steel shelving, and more.
I started walking the aisles...believe it or not, the entire left side of this aisle is just disposable food service gloves. Every size and type imaginable. They actually wrapped around to the next aisle!
Aisle after aisle of pizza boxes, paper cups, plastic silverware, to-go boxes, paper bags, trash bags, kitchen knives, cutting boards, mixing bowls, utensils, scales, cash registers, neon open signs, timecard machines, chefs clothing, mops, brooms, cleaning supplies...it just went on and on. Every individual serving size of chip, candy, and snack food. Every soda pop and sports drink imaginable.
When I got to the back of the store, I found the meat department. Yeah, that's what you're interested in, right?
Hamburger, anyone? Each chub weighs about 10 pounds.
Pork ribs. Spareribs available whole and St. Louis style. Pork loin ribs, of course. And spare rib brisket bones, two to a package, for $1.79/lb...never seen those sold like that before.
You want to try chuck roll like I did a few years ago? They've got it.
USDA Choice briskets are available whole or flats. The beef ribs didn't look so great.
Pork butts available boneless like a regular Costco, or bone-in, too. Nice!
There's a big walk-in refrigerated room, a lot like Restaurant Depot, where you can buy by-the-case meats. The green labels are all USDA Choice whole briskets. You get a small price break when you buy a case.
Here's a close-up of the details and pricing.
Case after case of spareribs and pork loins.
Continued...
