Costco uses over a pound of cheese for the $9.95 cheese pizzas in its food court
- Costco's food court is famous for its massive pizzas.
- Employees say a $9.95 cheese pizza at Costco boasts 24 ounces - or a pound and a half - of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- The price of a 12-slice pie hasn't changed since 1989.
Costco food courts are known for serving up pizza pie after jumbo-sized pizza pie. Technically, the warehouse club is the 14th largest pizza chain in the US.
A pie, which Business Insider's Hollis Johnson described as "gargantuan," spans 18 inches. A single slice goes for $1.99, while the whole 12-slice pie costs $9.95. A 2009 edition of Costco Connection revealed that the cost of a pie hasn't changed since 1989, when the product was first introduced at Price Club - which merged with Costco in 1993.
And if you order a cheese pizza pie, you'll certainly be getting a lot of cheese for your money.
Three Costco employees told Business Insider that a whole cheese pizza pie contains over a pound of cheese. Pepperoni and combo pizzas have less cheese, to make room for the toppings.
That detail is backed up by a 2011 edition of Costco Connection, which reported that cheese pies are topped with 24 ounces - or a pound and a half - of "aged, buttery" cheese. Of that cheese, 80% is "part-skim-milk" mozzarella. The remaining 20% of the blend is "10 month-aged shredded parmesan."
Some things that aren't included in Costco's pizzas are lard, trans fats, and hydrogenated oils, according to Costco Connection. The store publication's consumer reporter Pat Volchok wrote that the cheese used in the pizza is "fresh and real rather than cheap imitation powdered or processed concoctions."
The pies are whipped up with some automated help from a flattening machine and a mechanical saucing machine. Costco employees then sprinkle on the cheese by hand, according to Business Insider's Mary Hanbury.
Cheese isn't your only option when it comes to Costco pizzas. Pepperoni and combo options are available in the US, too. Combo pizzas feature mild Italian sausage, pepperoni slices, green bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and black olives. In the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Taiwan, different types of pizzas like barbecue chicken, five-cheese, seafood, al pastor, and Hawaiian style are available.
And cheese pizzas aren't the only variety with strict specifications. All pepperoni pies must include 60 slices of pepperoni. If you're looking to customize your order, you can ask for free red pepper flake and parmesan packets.
A slice of Costco pizza comes in at 600 to 700 calories, depending on the toppings.