Most Visited States
Most states in the US have more than one Costco. And Cesare has managed to visit many of these while visiting family or traveling to college football games.
When his son lived in Chicago, Cesare helped him move to different apartments—and swing by the local Costcos in Naperville, Oak Brook, and Bolingbrook. He once purchased tickets for a Penn State game against University of Michigan; of course, his family knew that meant driving throughout all of Michigan (even a bit out of the way) to make some Costco stops. His 20 visits to the Florida Costcos coincided with a move down to Lantana and a drive through the rest of the state on the way back to Pittsburgh.
Regional differences
Cesare is a meticulous shopper, carefully documenting each visit and each purchase. Although most Costcos (that sell liquor) have basic beers, wines, and liquor brands, the Costcos in Michigan sell craft beers. And during a visit to Chicago in 2011, he found Cognac brands at low prices in the South Loop location. “I mean, [the Cognac] was in a glass case for nearly $1000,” Cesare noted. “And, actually, I have been to some where they sell $1000 bottles of wine locked in a glass case at the end of the wine racks.”
Most Notable Costcos
Cesare, of course, prefers some of the locations he’s visited over the years to others.
What does he buy?
So what does Cesare buy at all of these Costcos? Well, in Pittsburgh and Lantana, he purchases home supplies (i.e., Kirkland paper towels and Scott toilet paper) and produce. Other purchases have varied depending on the year and what’s available at different stores. For example, when Cesare worked as the Library Director at the Greensburg-Hempfield library in Pennsylvania, he’d often stop by Costco after work to stock up on office supplies, books, and DVDs for the library. One of his more interesting personal purchases was DVDs to transfer the family’s old Beta tapes. Who would have guessed you could use Costco for that?
Cesare’s Eats
Each Costco has its own cafeteria and you can always get a hot dog with a soda for $1.50 or a slice of pizza. But at different locations, you can find additional food options and even different eating environments.
California has outdoor seating. Some of the cafeterias in other states sell gelato or large bags of French fries and even brisket sandwiches. Cesare and his wife have tried a variety of options but usually stick with pizza, hot dogs, or salad, and, like many others, they miss the ice cream bar.
But don't forget about the free samples throughout the store. Both he and his wife wait in lines to get bites of cheesecake or pumpkin pie samples. Cesare's father-in-law would stop by all of the stands in order to satisfy his appetite.
